


In The Lap Of The Muses

by thisissparta789789



Series: In The Lap Of The Muses [1]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Queen (Band)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Future Fic, Queen (Band) - Freeform, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 19:42:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 98,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10498170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisissparta789789/pseuds/thisissparta789789
Summary: For a variety of reasons, µ's reunites in 2017-2018. After 2 1/2 years of success in Japan after their reunion, and again, for a variety of reasons, the band undergoes a shift in tone and style as they climb to worldwide success alongside Aqours. Additionally, both bands as a whole navigate their way through the stressful yet rewarding music industry, dealing with tragedy and triumph all along the way.





	1. Rise to Fame

**Author's Note:**

> ALL SONG LYRICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF QUEEN, HOLLYWOOD RECORDS, AND LANTIS COMPANY, LIMITED. LOVE LIVE IS OWNED BY LANTIS COMPANY, LIMITED, ASCII MEDIA WORKS, DENGEKI G'S MAGAZINE, AND SUNRISE.

_"You suck my blood like a leech! You break the law and you preach! You screw my brain 'till it hurts! You've taken all, my, money, and you want more!"_

The sound of music filled the air of a recording studio in Tokyo, Japan, on a cold December 2019 day, as a ginger-haired woman sang into a recording mic as an instrumental track played in her headphones. As she sang, 3 other girls and a sound engineer watched on.

 _"Misguided old mule! With your pig-headed rules! With your narrow-minded cronies who are fools, of the first division!"_ The instrumental track then ended, and the girl switched from English to her native tongue of Japanese. "That's the entire first verse, according to Maki. We'll get the rest of the band in later to do the choruses."

The sound engineer replied, "It sounded pretty good. I gotta say, I don't understand all of the lyrics, Honoka, but it sure does sound hateful. Who did you say you were addressing this cover to?"

"Our old manager," Honoka replied as she slightly cringed. "That nasty old man screwed us over when µ's got back together in 2017. I'm glad we finally agreed to dump his ass in June, and I'm even happier that Maki introduced me to those 2 little numbers Queen wrote about their first manager."

"Jeez, that's harsh." The sound engineer was surprised at just how much the 23-year-old Honoka Kousaka hated µ's's old manager.

"She's 100% right," one of the 3 girls watching said. She was slightly older than Honoka, being 24 years old, and had black hair tied up into twin-tails. "I don't mean to get vulgar, but I stumbled upon that piece of shit stealing money from envelopes containing our paychecks. Thank God he didn't notice me. That was the last straw for me."

"I remember that, Nico." Another one of the girls began to recall past incidents with the old manager. "He once tried getting in the way of my relationship with Takao because 'idols can't date,' even though we aren't really idols in the traditional sense anymore as we were in our high school days back in 2012-2013." She then sighed as she became sad in her tone. "We almost broke up over his meddling, and it really put a strain on us I can still see today in him." The girl was slightly younger than the other 3 girls, being only 22 years old. "That's why I'm singing Flick of the Wrist off of… What was the album again, Maki?"

"Sheer Heart Attack," Maki replied. The redhead was the same age as the girl she replied to. "The same album where Killer Queen came from. In fact, Flick of the Wrist was the B-side of Killer Queen's single release."

Nico replied, "Oh God, I remember that incident too, Rin." She then turned from Rin to the 3rd girl watching Honoka. "You got any horror stories, Eli?"

Eli was the same age as Nico, and had blonde hair with blue eyes. "It's about time you asked that. I once tried suggesting mixing in maybe some classical stuff on one of our 2018 album's songs, but he shot it down. He practically neutered most creativity unless it had something to do with pop music. Now don't get me wrong, I like doing pop, but we needed more variety. Plus the whole deal with Yaroslav moving to Japan when we started dating and stuff also hurt."

"Wow," the sound engineer replied, shocked at their old manager's treatment of the band. "I can see why Maki recommended you guys to include this cover on the new album." He then flipped several switches and got ready. "Alright, Honoka, you're gonna be singing the second verse now. The instrumental will get to you right about now."

Honoka nodded as she got ready. Then, she began singing once again in English "You talk like a big business tycoon, but you're just a hot air balloon, so no one gives you a damn! You're just an overgrown schoolboy! Let me tan your hide! You're a dog with disease! You're the king of the sleaze! Put your money where your mouth is, Mister Know All! Was the fin on your back part of the deal?!" She then whispered in a harsh tone, "Shark!"

"Aaaand that's a wrap for the verses," the sound engineer said. "We'll record the choruses with the whole band after Maki finishes part of the next song on the list, "In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited."

* * *

 _"It's so easy,"_ Maki began in English in the recording booth. _"But I can't do it. It's so risky, but I gotta chance it. It's so funny, but there's nothing to laugh about. My money, that's all you wanna talk about! I can't see, what, you, want me to be, but I'm no fool! It's in the lap of the Gods! Woooah, woooah, la la la, wooh! I can't see, what, you want, me, to be, but I'm no fool!"_

"That was amazing," the sound engineer said as they finished the first verse and the first chorus. "I wish I heard of that song before this."

"Thank you," Maki replied with a smile. "So, what do you think, girls?"

"I say it's the perfect ending track for the album," Umi replied. "I gave the original by Queen a listen to while on the way here on Pandora, and you were right about the song being great, Maki-chan."

"I think we could see a breakthrough into the market outside of Asia with this one, Death on Two Legs, and Flick of the Wrist," Honoka said.

"I completely agree," Hanayo said in response. "Hell, maybe we should throw in an original song in English to make sure." The group then laughed.

"So," said the sound engineer. "Ready to record the chorus of that other song?"

"Sure thing," Honoka said.

* * *

 _"Death on Two Legs,"_ sang Honoka and Maki. Honoka then sang, _"You're tearing me apart!"_ Honoka and Maki then repeated the pattern. _"Death on Two Legs! You never had a heart of your own!"_

Then, the entire band sang, _"Killjoy! Bad guy! Big talking, small fry!"_

Honoka then sang, " _You're just an old barrow boy! Have you found a new toy, to replace me? Can you face me? But now you can kiss, my ass goodbye!"_

_"Feel good, are you satisfied? Do you feel like, suicide?"_

_"Is your conscience alright? Does it plague you at night? Do you feel good?!"_

_"FEEL GOOD!"_ Thus, the first chorus was complete, sans an extra background line that would be recorded later that followed the suicide line.

The sound engineer said to the band, "Let's take a short break for now and then we'll finish vocals for both of these songs and call it a day, shall we?"

* * *

_December 3, 2017_

"Alright," said Toru Hosono, the founder and owner of Poseidon Studios and the Poseidon Group. "Just sign here, and you will be all set."

As the rest of µ's looked on, Honoka said to Toru, "I'm glad we were able to get a deal so fast. I guess we never truly understood the full scope of our popularity when we were in High School." She then signed the contract, and with that, µ's, for the first time, had a manager and a studio to officially record in.

Once it was signed, the whole room erupted in clapping and cheers. Maki said, "This is going to be the start of a great journey for us. I can feel it."

Then, Toru said to the band, "We'll get started tomorrow at around 8 at night. I hear you already have some ideas, Sonoda Umi."

"Indeed I do," Umi replied, excited at the new opportunity to show off her skills. "I haven't done any songwriting in 3 and a half years, so I'll be sure to come up with some stuff pretty quickly."

* * *

_April 10, 2018_

"This needs to be taken care of," Toru said to his brother, Norio, while the two met after wrapping up a recording session. "Rin's relationship with that Matoi Takao boy is gonna hurt us."

"I hate to say it," Toru admitted. "But that's true. The press is already talking about this. We do not need this while we're recording the new album. Eli is also having the hots for a Russian guy she met while in going to school there. And let's not get started on Nozomi's undertakings. If those ever came out, we'd be done for."

"Oh my," Norio replied as he shuffled some paperwork. "You can say that again."

"It's a rule with all the other big idol groups in their contracts," Toru said to his brother. "No dating, period. Unfortunately, you know it as well as I do that µ's would have rejected the contract if we said that due to Rin and Eli."

* * *

_August 1, 2018_

"That was awesome," Nico said after µ's's first concert since their reformation, which was a sold out concert in Tokyo at the Nippon Budokan. "We rocked those new songs out!"

The band had performed the first stop of a tour of 15 concerts across Japan to promote their newest album, Bijinesu Ni Modoru, or Back To Business. They performed their 10 new songs plus 15 of their most popular old songs, with the ever-so-popular Snow Halation being used as the set closer.

Backstage, afterwards, Maki, Rin, and Nozomi, the three of whom had begun to emerge as songwriting partners alongside Umi, talked amongst each other. Nozomi said, "We did pretty damn good out there. I feel 18 years old all over again." The three then laughed. "No, really. Going back on stage brought back a lot of memories."

Maki said, "You can say that again. We made an entire audience of 14,000 jump up and sing along. We're doing something right, I guess."

"That's saying the least of it," Rin replied. "So, what do you gals wanna do for the next album?"

"Ehhh," Maki replied uneasily. "Well, I have ideas, but I'm afraid they'll get shot down by management. I was thinking something very prog-rock-like as a song for the next album."

"I'm for it," Nozomi replied as she shrugged. "We could use a song with a different style."

Then, Rin's boyfriend, Takao, walked in. Rin hugged him and gave him a quick kiss before he said, "I just got a call from the execs. The album just hit number 1 on the Oricon charts."

Honoka then walked in as well, saying, "Did you hear?! We hit number 1!" As the rest of the band entered, they all began to cheer in excitement.

Eli said to the group, "We've really done it, girls! We're at the top!"

* * *

_January 15, 2019_

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Honoka's brash language shocked her younger sister, who was in her bedroom with her as she was writing down info while on the phone with Nico. "Ugh... Toru's really putting a strain on us."

Yukiho asked her sister, "What happened this time?"

Honoka then turned to her and said, "Toru isn't allowing Rin's boyfriend to attend recording sessions or the backstage of concerts anymore, and she's pissed, and it's falling back on me, since I'm technically the band leader, and I'm kinda pissed about it, too." She was obviously annoyed and angry.

"I'm starting to think you shouldn't have signed with him." Yukiho was worried for her sister.

"You think? I want out. Everyone wants out. But we promised him at least two albums." Honoka then sighed and brushed her forehead. "Once that second album and its tour are finished, we are through with that piece of shit. The whole Takao thing isn't even the only thing wrong." She then turned her attention back to Nico. "Sorry about that, what's up now?"

Nico said on the other end of the line, "Well, Maki's gonna have to kinda stay with me for a while."

"Ugh," Honoka replied. "What happened? Was it her family?"

"Yup," Nico said. "There's been some tension, and Maki decided to crash with me at my place to get away from her parents." She then sighed. "It isn't pretty." Then, Honoka heard Nico hand the phone over to Maki.

Maki, who seemed to be on the edge of tears, said to Honoka, "Honoka, I need to tell you something."

"Go ahead," Honoka said, deeply concerned for the talented but troubled idol. "You can tell me and Nico anything, Maki."

"I... I've already told Nozomi this, but I'm..." Maki then began to cry slightly. "I'm coming out to the rest of the band tonight."

Honoka's eyes widened as she paused. "You... You're gay?"

"Kousaka Honoka," said Maki, trying to keep herself from breaking down. "I, Nishikino Maki, am bisexual, and I will not apologize for being bisexual, and I refuse to be in the closet anymore."

Honoka said to a ready-to-cry Maki, "Maki, thank you for telling us. Look, we think nothing different of you. After all, we still let Nozomi in the band, and she's bi like you. We don't care. If your parents do, that's what we're here for. If our manager does, well, pardon my French, but he can go fuck himself for all I care. I'm not happy with him right now."

* * *

_February 20, 2019_

After a party to celebrate the release of their second album, LOVE AND WAR, after the first stop on µ's's second tour in Osaka, Maki and a girl who had attended the party drunkenly wandered into her hotel room. The girl had dark red hair and yellow eyes, and appeared to be 18-19. "Hey, Maki," said the girl. "So you're, like, a great piano player, right?"

"Yup," Maki replied as she stumbled onto her bed. "Say, what was your idol group's name?"

"Oh yeah," replied the girl as she brushed her hair. "God, I drank too much." She then laughed. "Well, it's called Aqours. We were inspired by you guys or something. Hey, we managed to save our school from shutting down, too."

"I gotta say," Maki replied as she unzipped her jacket. "You gals were a great opening act. You wowed even us." She then burped and excused herself before laughing. "Now, wasn't that school Catholic or something? Are you, like, Catholic, Riko?"

"Yeah, the school's Catholic," Riko replied. "Most students aren't Catholics, at least in the whole... Fuck, what was that word that means you're super into it... Oh yeah, devout, I think." She then reached over to Maki and gave her a kiss on the lips, which Maki returned before they split. "Like that." Riko then laughed. "Doing that certainly isn't Catholic."

Maki blushed and said, "Oh... Yeah... That happened..." She then proceeded to blush more as Riko took off her shirt, going down to her pants and a black bra. "Are you trying to...? Yeah, you are."

"Hey," Riko told Maki. "Don't leave me hanging here. Join in on this."

Maki replied, "Whatever. I'll show you who's boss, then." Maki then ripped off her jacket, shirt, and bra all at once. "How's that?" She then moved in and began making out with Riko, who gladly returned the favor.

_25 minutes later_

"Well," Maki said as she grabbed a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from a dresser and pulled a cigarette out. "That was... Uhh... Something..."

Riko replied, "You smoke?"

"Yeah," Maki replied as she lit up her cigarette before puffing smoke out. "Riko, I've been technically rejected by my family for liking girls and being a musician. It's obvious why I picked this shit up."

"Oh my," Riko replied. "That sucks. I mean, I don't know how my parents would react to this. They themselves aren't even Catholic. They just transferred me from Otonokizaka to Uranohoshi when we moved out there. I gotta say, they totally deserve the parent of the year award for transferring me from a resurging school to a school that was on the brink of shutting down." Maki and Riko then laughed hysterically.

"Say, you wanna keep in touch?" Maki then offered Riko her phone as she took out her cigarette. "You can give me your number, and I can have your's."

"I don't mind," Riko replied as she took Maki's phone to add her number while she handed Maki her phone so she could add her number. "That was pretty fun, huh?"

* * *

_June 16, 2019_

"Alright, let's take it from the top," said Eli as she, Nozomi, and her boyfriend, a Russian guy that was a year older than her named Yaroslav that she had met while studying there oversaw a recording session for Aqours. After their tour ended, Eli, Nozomi, and Yaroslav decided to start doing music production as a side job. "3, 2, 1, go."

The 9 members of Aqours then began to sing the vocals to one of their most popular songs, MIRAI TICKET. As they all joined in and sang together, Nozomi said to Eli, "I see a lot of us in these girls, Elicchi."

"You can say that again," Eli replied. "It's like staring into a freakin' mirror sometimes."

Yaroslav then said to the girls, "Say, I hear Maki and that Riko girl like to hang out a lot. Is something going on between them?"

"Huh," Nozomi replied. "Come to think of it, Maki never told us if she and Riko were actually dating. I know they had a one-night-stand or something back in February." Then, the three were interrupted by a phone call on the studio phone. Nozomi immediately answered it and said, "Hello?"

On the other end was an overjoyed Honoka, who said to Nozomi, "It's finally fucking over! We got out of the contract and I got us a new manager and producer!"

Nozomi immediately jumped out of her chair and yelled, "YES!" She startled Eli, Yaroslav, and all of Aqours, who stopped singing immediately.

Takami Chika, the founder of Aqours, asked Eli, "What just happened?"

"Sorry about that," Eli replied, also wondering what had happened. She then turned to Nozomi. After a few seconds of talking to her, Eli told Aqours, "We're free of our old contract! We don't have to listen to our piece of shit manager anymore!"

Riko cheered and said, "It's about time. Maki told me everything about the Hosono brothers. They suck." She then became serious. "Girls, can I admit something to you?"

Chika replied, "Riko, we know about you and Maki. We have had a feeling you two were dating for a while. You didn't have to hide it from us."

"Oh," Riko said in surprise. "Well, that takes care of that then." The rest of the band laughed.

Ohara Mari, another member of the band, told Riko, "God, we got more coincidental similarities with µ's than I thought. We both have exactly 2 bi girls. I'm starting to think we're all somehow long-lost relatives or something." The band then laughed further. "Nah, it's just a joke. It'd be too weird if we actually were related, anyways. Now, where were we on MIRAI TICKET?"

* * *

_March 1, 2020_

µ's's new album was released just hours before the first show on their tour, which would start in North America. The album, titled Shove It, was predated by the release of Death On Two Legs on February 18, In The Lap Of The Gods Revisited on February 25, Shove It, a traditional 4:42 rock song, on February 26, and Warning From The Heavens, an experimental 8:34-long prog rock track, on March 1. A medley of 3 Queen songs melded together into one sung by Nozomi, Rin, and Maki was to be released as a single on March 10, consisting of Tenement Funster, Flick Of The Wrist, and Lily of the Valley.

Shove It, with its 12 tracks, marked a departure from pop, going for a progressive rock style. It also featured the band playing their own instruments for the first time, as well as lead vocalists on songs for the first time, though all songs had at least 1 line featuring all 9 members of the band. Its songs were as follows:

1\. Shove It (Japanese/English) (Lead Vocals: Rin/Honoka/Maki)

2\. 4 MINUTES (English/Japanese) (Lead Vocals: Nozomi/Eli/Nico)

3\. Tell Them Now (Japanese) (Lead Vocals: Nozomi/Maki)

4\. Warning From The Heavens (Japanese) (Lead Vocals: Maki/Nozomi/Rin)

5\. Real Cardiac (English) (Lead Vocals: Honoka)

6\. Heart (Japanese) (Lead Vocals: Kotori/Umi)

7\. A Mystery On The Yamanote Line (Japanese) (Lead Vocals: Hanayo/Rin)

8\. Uyoku Dantai 2020 (Japanese/English) (Lead Vocals: Maki/Hanayo/Umi) (NOTE: Despite its name, this is a song against far-right groups in Japan, known as uyoku dantai.)

9\. Death On Two Legs (English) (Lead Vocals: Honoka)

10\. Tenement Funster/Flick Of The Wrist/Lily Of The Valley (English) (Lead Vocals: Nozomi/Rin/Maki)

11\. On My Own (Japanese) (Lead Vocals: Maki/Rin/Hanayo)

12\. In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited (English) (Lead Vocals: Maki)

Already, the album was generating much discussion in the music world, primarily in Japan in regards to the seemingly-drastic change in music style for the band. While some derided it, most praised it, saying the group was maturing well.

For the tour, Aqours would start off as the opening act, playing a 45-minute set of 10 songs followed by a 15-minute break before µ's took the stage to play a 35-song setlist lasting 2 hours and 35 minutes on average. This too would be their first tour outside of Japan, and like µ's, this would also mark the first time they played instruments live on stage as well.

_**AQOURS SETLIST:** _

1\. Flash's Theme (Tape/Intro)/The Hero (Lead Vocals: Riko) (This cover of two of Queen's songs from the Flash Gordon movie was suggested by Maki as Aqours' intro.) (Upped by 2 semitones.)

2\. Aozora Jumping Heart

3\. Life Of Style (New Song) (Lead Vocals: You/Dia)

4\. Strawberry Trapper

5\. Last Game (New Song) (Lead Vocals: Dia/Ruby/Mari)

6\. Super Chance (New Song) (Lead Vocals: Chika/Kanan)

7\. MIRAI TICKET

8\. Guilty Kiss, Guilty Night

9\. Mijuku Dreamer

10\. Daisuki Dattara Daijoubu

_**µ's SETLIST:** _

1\. Tie Your Mother Down (Queen Cover) (Not on Shove It) (Lead: Maki) (Upped by 1 semitone)

2\. Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE

3\. Shove It (New Song)

4\. 4 MINUTES (New Song)

5\. Aishiteru Banzai

6\. Soldier Game

7\. Shangri-La Shower

8\. Warning From The Heavens (New Song)

9\. Tell Them Now (New Song)

10\. Real Cardiac (New Song)

11\. Heart (New Song)

12\. Dancing Stars on Me

13\. Love Marginal

14\. You Take My Breath Away (Queen Cover) (Not on Shove It) (Lead: Rin) (Unaltered)

15\. Tenement Funster/Flick Of The Wrist/Lily Of The Valley Medley (Queen Cover) (New Song) (Lead: Nozomi/Rin/Maki) (Upped by 2 semitones)

16\. Mustapha (Queen Cover) (Not On Shove It) (Lead: Maki) (Upped by 1 semitone)

17\. Death On Two Legs (Queen Cover) (New Song) (Lead: Honoka) (Upped by 2 semitones)

18\. START:DASH

19\. No Brand Girls

20\. A Mystery On The Yamanote Line (New Song)

21\. Uyoku Dantai 2020 (New Song)

22\. On My Own (New Song)

23\. Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen Cover) (Not on Shove It) (Lead: Maki) (Upped by 1 semitone)

24\. Bokura wa Ima no Naka de

25\. Sore wa Bokutachi no Kiseki

26\. KiRa-KiRa Sensation!

27\. Datte Datte Aa Mujou

28. It's Late (Queen Cover) (Not on Shove It) (Lead: Maki/Rin) (Unaltered)

29. Brighton Rock/Guitar Solo/Brighton Rock Reprise (Queen Cover) (Not on Shove It) (Lead: Honoka/Rin) (Unaltered)

30. Aki no Anata no Sora Tooku

31\. Save Me (Queen Cover) (Not on Shove It) (Lead: Maki) (Upped by 1 semitone)

32\. Sentimental Steps

33\. Radio Ga Ga (Queen Cover) (Not on Shove It) (Lead: Hanayo/Rin) (Upped by 2 semitones)

34\. Love Wing Bell

35\. Donna Toki mo Zutto

36\. SUNNY DAY SONG

37\. I Want To Break Free (Queen Cover) (Not on Shove It) (Lead: Hanayo/Maki) (Upped by 2 semitones)

38\. Sheer Heart Attack (Queen Cover) (Not on Shove It) (Lead: Honoka) (Unaltered)

39\. Snow Halation

40\. In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited (Queen Cover) (New Song) (Lead: Maki) (Unaltered)

The 10 Queen covers not released on Shove It would eventually be released on an EP after the tour ended called "A Royal Tribute to Queen" in December.

As for the playing of live instruments, µ's would take the following positions:

HONOKA: Vocals, Piano, Tambourine  
KOTORI: Synthesizer, Vocals, Stage FX, Guitar (I Want To Break Free, A Mystery On The Yamanote Line, On My Own, Radio Ga Ga, Love Wing Bell)  
UMI: Guitar, Vocals, Bass Guitar (I Want To Break Free, A Mystery On The Yamanote Line, On My Own, Radio Ga Ga, Love Wing Bell)  
MAKI: Vocals, Piano, Tambourine  
RIN: Vocals, Piano, Tambourine  
HANAYO: Drums, Vocals  
ELI: Bass Guitar, Vocals, Drums (I Want To Break Free, A Mystery On The Yamanote Line, On My Own, Radio Ga Ga, Love Wing Bell)  
NOZOMI: Guitar, Vocals  
NICO: Guitar, Vocals

Aqours would take the following positions as well:

CHIKA: Vocals, Guitar  
YOU: Bass Guitar, Vocals  
RIKO: Vocals, Piano  
KANAN: Vocals, Piano, Guitar  
DIA: Guitar, Vocals, Piano  
MARI: Guitar, Vocals  
RUBY: Drums, Vocals  
YOSHIKO: Synthesizer, Vocals, Stage FX, Bass Guitar  
HANAMARU: Drums, Vocals

The tour would last from March to October, with a long North American leg taking the bands to smaller venues such as historic theatres across America, Canada, and Mexico, and the Asian leg taking them to stadiums and arenas.

* * *

Backstage at the Beacon Theatre, µ's and Aqours discussed amongst themselves. Maki and Riko still could not keep their hands off each other, especially since their one-year anniversary had happened not too long ago. Rin and Hanayo giggled to each other about the two lovebirds, with Rin telling her, "Me and Takao aren't even that lovesick, Kayo-chin." While µ's wore outfits similar to their outfits for the video for Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE, Aqours chose to wear outfits similar to that from the video for Aozora Jumping Heart. Both bands would rotate outfits for the tour from various sets.

"I know," Hanayo replied, barely containing her laughter. "Oh well, at least they're happy."

You overheard them and quietly giggled to herself as well. She said to Chika, "You think anyone else from our group is gonna get together with someone from µ's?"

"That would be rich," Chika replied. She then sighed before she remembered something and turned to Ruby, who was talking to her sister. "Hey, Ruby, you got replacement drumsticks, right?"

Ruby was initially startled by the interruption. She then turned around and said, "Oh... Sorry about that... Yeah, I got the new sticks. Can't believe my old ones broke during rehearsal." She then nervously laughed.

Then, Kotori said to the group, "Aqours, get ready to take your positions. You're on soon. Good luck, everyone!" Due to both bands being so large, they both did a majority of their stage work by themselves, with the exception of stage construction. Kotori and Yoshiko both volunteered to be the primary handlers of FX on stage, the setup of lights and light patterns, and synthesizer work alongside vocals, both commanding large consoles on stage where they could control the lights, sound effects, pyrotechnics, microphone and instrument inputs, and speaker outputs, as well as a microphone for their own vocals. Without them, concerts would not be possible.

Yoshiko said to Kotori as she walked to the stage to get ready, "Good luck after us. Hopefully, the dark spirits won't curse us." Then, the two laughed. They both would be the first to walk out onto the stage when their bands played. Then, as Yoshiko walked out onto a darkened stage, she saw the packed theatre of 2,829 guests, though the audience could barely see her beyond a shadowy outline. _"All 4 nights at the Beacon are sold out,"_ she thought to herself. _"Let's make this count for the 11,316 people who will see us here these 4 nights, plus everyone watching us on T.V. on this night. ... Wait, I actually did the math on that?"_ She then shook her head. _"Concentrate! You are Yohane! You will prevail!"_

Yoshiko then got up to her console and tuned the speakers on stage to their default stage settings. Then, she opened up a laptop on the console and pressed play to begin playing the taped intro of Flash's Theme by Queen. Because no instrumental version of it was available to the public, Maki herself had to painstakingly cut and paste various parts of the song to fit the style of how it was played during Queen's Hot Space Tour of 1982.

As the beat of the drums and bass were heard, the crowd began clapping along. Then, the first lyrics echoed through the speakers. _"FLASH! AAH!"_ Then, the song continued on. The crowd also began singing along to the song. _**"**_ _"FLASH! AAH!"_ Yoshiko began to prepare a blast of pyrotechnics to signal the entrance to the band once the tape ended. _"FLASH! AAH!"_ The third chant was followed by a long 16-second instrumental section as Yoshiko began tuning up the instruments and other microphones.

Then, the fourth and final chant played, which was quieter than the rest. _"FLASH! AAH!"_ As soon as it ended, Mari and Dia emerged at the front of the stage and began playing the guitar as Yoshiko began playing the synthesizer's keyboard. Ruby and Hanamaru, both possessing different drum sets on stage side by side, began drumming away as the crowd went wild.

Then, Riko entered the fray, holding Maki's microphone and mic stand as she said in English, "How's it going, New York?!" As Chika and Kanan also entered the stage, guitars in hand as well, the crowd cheered. Then, the band switched to The Hero. After a short guitar section, Hanamaru and Ruby dueled each other on the drums for a couple seconds before Chika and Kanan took over for guitar playing from Dia and Mari. Then, Riko held her right fist in the air as she began to sing The Hero.

_So you feel like you ain't nobody!_

_Always feel that you need somebody!_

_Put your feet on the ground, put your hand on your heart!_

_Put your head to the sky and the world's for your taking!_

_Yes, you can save the world!_

You and Chika played their instruments while back to back with each other, clearly enjoying the concert so far as Riko began singing again.

_So you feel like it's end of story!_

_Find it all pretty satisfactory!_

_Well let me tell you, my friend, this could seem like the end!_

_But the continuation is your's for the making!_

_Yes, you're the hero!_

Then, Chika played a guitar riff to signal the end of the song as Ruby and Hanamaru both played a drum and cymbal fill to close the song out. Then, when it ended, the stage went dark again as the theatre, impressed, cheered and clapped with applause.

Everyone on stage playing an instrument moved into their microphones, and anyone on stage without an instrument grabbed a bottomless mic stand with a microphone from Kotori as she briefly emerged on stage and gave Riko, Chika, and Kanan the mic stands after taking Chika and Kanan's guitars and placing them on stands behind Riko and Hanamaru's drum sets. Then, Yoshiko loaded up the stage FX for Aozora Jumping Heart, including the backing synthesizer soundtrack. She also moved in on her microphone as the whole band sang the beginning of the song as Ruby and Hanamaru crashed their cymbals.

_Mita koto nai yume no kidou... Oikakete!_

The song was played slightly different on stage, with Dia and Mari adding more guitar parts to the song live.

_Shining road! Hashiri dasu kono kimochi!_

_Massugu_ _ni, ikioi yoku, kimi wo sagashiteta yo!_

_Chotto matte nante muri tobidasou, bokutachi no naka no!_

_Yuuki ga sawaideru!_

Then, Hanamaru, Ruby, and Yoshiko pulled away from their microphones as the rest of the band sang the next line of the song before they sang a short word, followed by the other 6 members of the band continuing.

 _Itsumo no sekai ga atarashii tobira wo!_ _(1Y:_ _Motto!)_

 _Kakishiteru no!_ _(1Y:_ _Let's go!)_

_Zenbu aketai yo!_

Then, the whole band joined in again.

_1/2Y: Hora issho ni ne!_

_1/2Y: Hajimetai! My story! (3Y: Saa ima de!)_

_1/2Y: Aoi sora ga matteru! (3Y: Fu!)_

_Yume wo dakishimete Jumping Heart sore dake de!_

_Ashita e to susumeru seishun masshigura?!_

_2/3Y: Hajimatta toki no! (1Y: Sunshine Story!)_

_2/3Y: Tokimeki zutto daiji ni ne! (1Y: Fu!)_

_Yume wo tsukamae ni yuku yo donna koto ga!_

_Okoru no ka wakaranai no mo... Tanoshimi sa!_

Then, Chika began the next segment of the song, followed by the second years all singing together alongside other groupings.

 _Chika:_ _Open Mind, tsutaenakya tsutawaranai!_

 _(2Y): S_ _aisho kara KANPEKI ni!_

 _You: D_ _ekiru hazu wa nai kara!  
_

_Ruby: T oriaezu genki ni!  
_

_(Chika/You/Ruby): Tobidasou! Bokutachi no SUTAATO RAIN GOORU wa tooi ka na!_

_Kanan: Mabushii SEKAI de yobu koe ga kikoeta!_

_(Kanan/Hanamaru: Motto!) Dia: K_ _iite mitakute!_ _  
_

_(Kanan/Dia: Let's go!) Hanamaru: Hikari no mukou e!_

_Hanamaru/Kanan/Dia: Hora, issho ni ne!_

Then, the entire band joined in for the second chorus, and Dia and Mari cranked up the guitar even more.

_2/3Y: Kanaetai na! My Future (1Y: Saa doko e!) 2/3Y: Taiyou ga noboru you ni (1Y: FU!)_

_Yume yo kagayaite Charging Heart!_

_Chikara ippai kanaeyou negai wo seishun pikkari da!?_

_1/2Y: Kaetai to omou (3Y: Sunshine mission!) 1/2Y: Kimochi ga kitto daiji da yo (3y: FU!)_

_Yume wo tsukamae ni yuku yo!_

_Minna to nara setsumei wa dekinai kedo daijoubu sa!_

Then, Mari played a short guitar solo in between sections, backed by Dia.

 _Jumping Heart! Riko: D_ _atte hajimetai koto ga!_

_Charging Heart! Yoshiko: Ima mitsukatta bakkari!  
_

_Mari: GOORU wa doko? Riko/Yoshiko:_ _doko darou? Mari: Wakaranai!_

 _Mari/Yoshiko/Riko: W_ _akaranai demo ne tanoshisou da yo!_

For the final chorus, the band decided to give the audience some of the lines, which the audience gladly complied with.

_Hajimetai! My Story aoi sora ga matteru! (Audience: FU!)_

_Yume wo dakishimete (Audience: Jumping Heart!)_

_Sore dake de ashita e to susumeru seishun masshigura!?_

_Hajimatta toki no! (Audience: Sunshine Story!) Tokimeki zutto daiji ni ne! (Audience: FU!)_

_Yume wo tsukamae ni yuku yo!_

_Donna koto ga okoru no ka wakaranai miri!_

_Yume wo tsukamae ni yuku yo!_

_Minna to nara setsumei wa dekinai kedo daijoubu sa! (Chika yells, "Sing it for us!") (Audience: Masshigura!)_

After the song closed out, the audience cheered as Chika approached, Riko and Kanan in tow, and said to the audience in accented English, "Hello, New York! How are you doing tonight?!" After the audience cheered in response, Riko took over.

Riko said to the audience, "It's so amazing to be in America, ladies and gentlemen. I never thought Aqours would get this far, and neither did anyone else in our little band."

Kanan then took over, saying, "By the way, I just wanna point out that our fellow bandmate, Ohara Mari, is actually a former resident of New York City. Her father is actually from the Bronx." A whole bunch of people in the audience cheered in response.

Mari herself stepped up to her microphone and said in response, "You got that right! Though I was born in Japan, I always enjoyed staying in New York City. It's good to be back after so long. Can anyone from the Bronx give me a "Hell yeah?!"" A whole bunch of people in the audience replied with "Hell yeah!" in response. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Chika then said to the audience, "Alright, folks! Before we get into anything else, I wanna introduce my bandmates. I am Takami Chika, the founder of Aqours." She then pointed to Riko and Kanan. "These two are Riko Sakurauchi and Kanan Matsuura." She then pointed to Mari and Dia. "These two are Ohara Mari and Kurosawa Dia." She then pointed to You. "This is my best friend, bassist Watanabe You. We've known each other since we were in elementary school." She then pointed to Hanamaru, Yoshiko, and Ruby. "Then, we have Kunikida Hanamaru and Kurosawa Ruby on the drums, and we have possibly one of our most important band members, Tsushima Yoshiko, better known by her nickname Yohane. You see, all the stage FX, all the stage lights, any synths, she is in control of them. In fact, she'll be on the bass for two songs tonight as well." The whole audience cheered.

Yoshiko then said on her microphone, "Thank you, Chika! Don't worry folks, Yohane's gonna give you a show you won't forget!"

Chika then said, "Alright! On that note, let's rock and roll! This is a new song called Life Of Style!"

* * *

 

_After the Aqours Opening Set, and before µ's Set_

Kotori and Yoshiko talked to each other while on stage in the back, just minutes before µ's was going to take the stage. Kotori said to her, "So, how's the touring life so far?"

"That opening act was awesome," Yoshiko said, excited. "I can't wait to see you guys go up there."

As Kotori opened up several computer programs for the stage FX and lights, she said, "I just hope they like our intro. Some of the Queen covers Maki suggested were pretty obscure. It sounds pretty good, though, nonetheless."

"You'll be fine," Yoshiko said. "The audience is mostly here for the rock and roll. Your album is chock full of it. It's almost as if I'm listening to two different groups when I listen to Shove It and your older stuff."

"I guess you're right," Kotori replied. She then queued up the lights and stage FX. "Alright, I'm gonna start up the intro tape soon. Here goes." As Yoshiko waved goodbye and went backstage, Kotori clicked play on the intro tape, which consisted of a pitched-up version of the A Day At The Races album intro. The audience cheered as the tape played, which started off with a gong and a recording of a guitar.

Once the guitar part ended, a Shepard tone segment played for a little while, building up the atmosphere and tension. As the audience waited, the segment got louder and louder.

Then, Nozomi, began playing the guitar riff of the intro song as the tape ended. Once she finished the first bar of the riff, a blast of pyrotechnics and lights illuminated the stage as the whole band came into view and began playing. A clash of cymbals by Hanayo was followed by Maki emerging from the smoke, dancing around while holding a microphone complete with a bottomless stand. The band wore their Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE outfits, minus their heels, having been replaced with easier to move around in black sneakers. "Ooooooooooh yeah! Ohhhh yeah!" Nico then joined Nozomi in playing the guitar riff. Umi, Honoka, and Rin would join in the song later, with Umi performing the solo guitar segments.

_Get your party gown! Get your pigtail down! Get your heart beatin' ,baby!_

_I got my timing right! I got my act all tight! It's gonna be tonight, my little schoolbabe!_

_Your mama says you don't, and your daddy says you won't, and I'm burning up inside!_

_Ain't no way I'm gonna lose out this time! Oh no!_

Then, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Lock your daddy outta doors! I don't need him nosing around!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

Maki then took over again, singing the next verse as she pointed at the audience.

_"You're such a dirty louse! Go get outta my house!"_

_That's all I ever get from your... Aaaagh!_

_Family ties! In fact I don't think I ever heard a single little civil word from those guys!  
_

_But you know I don't give a light! I'm gonna make out_ _ alright! _ _  
_

_ I've got a sweetheart hand 1o put a stop to all that grousin' an' snipin'! _

Once again, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Take your little brother swimming with a brick! That's alright!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Or you)_

_Ain't! No! Friend! Of! Mine! (Maki: Ain't no friend of mine!)_

Then, Umi began playing the guitar solo of the song as the spotlights shifted onto her away from Maki, who danced around on stage to the solo. Unlike their past shown, there were few choreography notes, giving the band members more freedom to do as they played on stage.

After the solo ended, Maki began singing again.

_Your momma and your daddy gonna pl_ _ague me 'til I die!_

_Why can't they understand I'm just a peace lovin' guy?! Ooooooh!_

For the final chorus, the whole band joined in again.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Get your big, big, big, big daddy outta doors!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

_(Maki: All your love tonight!)_

Umi, Nozomi, and Nico then continued playing their guitars as Maki danced around on stage and said, "Awwwwww yeah!" Then, the guitars ceased as Hanayo did a drum fill before closing out the song with the guitars. Finally, a final clash of cymbals signalled the end of the rocker as the stage went dark again. The crowd cheered, impressed by the song.

Then, Umi began playing on the guitar again, this time playing the intro to their next song, Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE. After Nico and Nozomi joined in, the song picked up and the whole band began singing.

_Tashika na ima yori mo, atarashii yume tsukamaetai!_

_Daitan ni tobidaseba! O.K. my life!  
_

_Nozomi wa ookiku ne, se nobi datteba takaku tooku!_

_Mabushii ashita dakishime ni yukou!_

_Zenbu kanaeyou!_

Then, Eli and Kotori took over for a line, followed by Honoka, holding a similar mic stand as Maki along with Rin, and then the whole band. Maki moved to the piano and gave her mic stand to a stage hand to start playing it.

_(E/K): Sou da yo shinjiru dake de!_

_(Honoka): Gungun mae ni susumu yo!_

_Kimi ga!_

_Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!  
_

_Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!  
_

_(Honoka): Nando demo akiramezu ni! Sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!_

_Atsui mama de habataiteku!_

_Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_

_Yuzuranai hitomi ga... daisuki!_

_(Honoka): Daisuki!_

_Naite mo sora no iro kawaranai shi aoi mama de!_

_Ima sugu ni, aitai ne! O.K. Sunshine!_

_Narande kanjitai rikutsu ja naku soba ni itara!  
_

_Kimochi ga gutto chikadzuku imi ga_ _sugu ni tsutawaru yo!_

Again, Eli and Kotori sang a line, followed by Honoka.

_(E/K): Sou da ne dare mo ga hitotsu!  
_

_(Honoka): Motteru yuuki no kakera wa!_

_Kimi to! Issho datteba zutto ne!_

_Omoitsuki de ii kara oikakete!_

_Kokoro odoru basho wo sagasou!_

_(Eli): Tsumazuite okiagatte! (Kotori): Mitsumeaeru ureshii bouken!_

_Egao wa doko made todoku kana!_

_Yakusoku to ka iranai kedo!_

_Itsu made mo kimi to itai!  
_

_Kakenukete issho ni,,, Kirakira! Kirakira!_

After a short piano solo, Maki quickly got up from her piano, her mic stand in tow, as s she and Rin took turns doing call and response with the audience.

_(Maki): Kirakira! (Audience: Kirakira!)_

_Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai!_

_(Rin): Daisuki! (Audience: Daisuki!)_

_Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai! (Maki: Awwwwwwww yeah!)_

Nozomi then began playing a guitar solo as the audience clapped rapidly to the song, before the whole band joined in again. Maki also returned to the piano.

_(Honoka): Ohhhhh! Let's go!_

_Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!_

_Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!_

_Nando demo akiramezu ni sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!  
_

_Atsui mama de habataiteku!  
_

_Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_   


_Yuzuranai hitomi ga... Daisuki! Daisuki!_

Once the song closed out, the whole audience cheered, clearly enjoying the older song, which had become a signature song for the band. Maki got up from the guitar and said to the audience, "Good evening, New York City! How are you all doing tonight?!"

Honoka then said, "How's it going?! Now, who here saw us back when we came here in our high school days?!" A significant portion cheered in response, indicating that µ's certainly had a presence in North America even before Shove It has been released. "Who here likes Queen, by the way?" Again, most of the audience cheered. "Good, 'cause we got quite a few more covers planned for tonight along with our own works."

Rin said to the audience, "Alright, who wants to hear a number off the new album?!" The whole audience cheered in response. "Good, because this next song comes right off of it! This is called Shove It!"


	2. Run-Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALL SONG LYRICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF QUEEN, HOLLYWOOD RECORDS, AND LANTIS COMPANY, LIMITED. LOVE LIVE IS OWNED BY LANTIS COMPANY, LIMITED, ASCII MEDIA WORKS, DENGEKI G'S MAGAZINE, AND SUNRISE.

_March 31, 2013_

Rin and Hanayo were visiting Otonokizaka while out for a walk. After having stopped at the Kanda Shrine and meeting up with Nozomi, who was preparing to go to college soon, they walked along the grounds of the school while talking with each other. Rin said to Hanayo as they walked to the front door of the school, "It feels so weird when it's almost deserted like this, Kayo-chin."

"Tell me about it," Hanayo replied as she drank from a water bottle. "It feels even weirder not being here in our school uniforms."

Suddenly, one of the front doors opened, causing Hanayo to slightly jump in fright. Rin said, "Woah! It's okay! It's just the door!"

A man and what appeared to be his son stepped out. The man said to him, "So that's my school, pretty much, Takao." He then noticed Rin and Hanayo. "Hmm? Aren't you two students here?"

Rin shook the man's hand and said, "Yes, sir. Hoshizora Rin and Koizumi Hanayo. We are both going to be second-years once school starts again." She and Hanayo then bowed.

"Oh wait," the man said as he recognized them. "Now I recognize you! You both were in µ's with Ayase Eli, right? I was her Statistics teacher, actually. I'm Mr. Matoi." He also shook Hanayo's hand.

The man's son, a boy named Takao, said, "You girls saved my dad's job and my family's only sizable source of income. My mom only works part-time, so we rely a lot on my dad." He then bowed in respect. "I'm Matoi Takao."

Hanayo smiled, knowing that the band's efforts were not in vain, as she said, "What school do you go to, Matoi-san?"

"I go to UTX," he replied. "Though if Otonokizaka wasn't an all-female school, I'd probably be going here instead. I'm going to be a second-year, too." He then laughed. "I was a biiiiit conflicted when the Love Live competition was going on since A-RISE is from my school."

"Don't worry about it," Rin replied nonchalantly. "We're friends with A-RISE. Our leader Honoka and their leader Tsubasa get along pretty well."

Then, Takao's father got a phone call on his cellphone. "Hello? I see. Alright, I'll be right over. Bye." He then turned to Takao. "I gotta run to UTX to get something. Can I trust you to go back home on your own?" He then turned to Rin and Hanayo. "You don't mind, right?" They both shook their heads.

Takao replied, "Of course. It's not like I'm gonna run off somewhere."

* * *

 

About 15 minutes later, Takao, Rin, and Hanayo were in the music wing of Otonokizaka in the piano room. Rin asked him, "So, you play the piano?"

"Oh yeah," Takao replied. "I've been into music for a while now." He then did a short impromptu piano rendition of part of Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE's chorus. "Recognize that one?"

"Of course," Hanayo replied, chuckling. "I'm amazed you can come up with stuff like that on the fly."

"Our friend and fellow bandmate Nishikino Maki is really good on the piano, too," Rin replied, interested. "I've always wanted to learn an instrument. Maki-chan taught me some piano basics, but nothing advanced."

"I'm sure I can help," Takao replied. "I don't mind. Really, if you know the piano, most other instruments start becoming easier to learn. It's kinda like a gateway drug, except less harmful and not a load of bullshit." Rin and Hanayo laughed. "You can tell my thoughts on drugs right from that sentence alone." He then played a short impromptu on the piano, singing, _"The drug war is a failure, and Asia as a whole takes it too far!"_ He then said, "I mean, killing people for a few grams of pot, really? Really, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and far too many other places to list?"

Rin laughed again and said, "I had to do a project on that in a first-year government participation class. Let's just say I got a dirty look from the teacher when I suggested that our drug laws were too harsh."

"I remember that," Hanayo replied. "That was funny. I almost laughed when she looked at you like you were the antichrist."

* * *

 

_September 29, 2013_

"Okay then," Yukiho, still wearing her Otonokizaka outfit after coming home from school with Honoka, said on her cellphone. "I'll talk to you later, Akamine-san. Bye." She then quickly shut her flip phone as Honoka walked in.

"Hey, sis," Honoka said. "So, who was that?"

"Uhhh," Yukiho replied. "It was Alisa-chan from school. That's all."

"Whatever," Honoka replied as she got out some homework. "Gee, it seems you're pretty upbeat ever since we came back from summer vacation. Any reason why?"

"No reason," Yukiho replied. "I guess I'm just happy that I'm going to school with my older sister, that's all." She then smiled.

"Awwww, thanks." Honoka then hugged her sister. "You're the best, Yukiho."

Yukiho laughed as she thought to herself,  _"That's only half the story!"_

 

* * *

_December 7, 2013_

As Nozomi swiped dust outside of her shrine with a broom after having completed some homework from her classes at university, she noticed Yukiho walking over to her. "Hmm? Oh hey, you're Honoka's sister, right?"

"Yes," Yukiho replied. "Tojo-san, can I speak with you about something?"

Nozomi replied, "Sure? Do you want it to be private?"

"Eh, why not?" Yukiho and Nozomi then walked into the shrine. After they found a secluded spot, Yukiho said to her, "Tojo-san, you have some understanding of relationships, right?"

Nozomi, confused, asked her, "What kind?"

"More than friends," Yukiho replied. "You know."

"I was the only girl in µ's that ever actually dated somebody," Nozomi replied. "I went out with a boy in my junior high days for a little while. And..." Nozomi hesitated. "I've had some unrequited crushes, including one on another girl." She then thought to herself,  _"Elicchi..."_ "So, what's up, Yukiho-chan?"

"Huh... Come to think of it," Yukiho replied. "You always did seem to be the type that liked other girls. Anyways, I haven't told Honoka or my parents this, but I met this boy over summer break in August from UTX, and we've been dating a bit since then."

Nozomi, confused as to why Yukiho hadn't told anyone, said, "Why didn't you tell your family? What's wrong?"

"He's... He's in Honoka's grade," Yukiho replied. "He's a third-year at UTX, as opposed to me, a first-year at Otonokizaka. I'm afraid my sister won't like an older boy that's her age dating her younger sister who's 2 and a half years younger than both of them."

"Oh," Nozomi replied, now knowing why. "Listen, how far have you gone with him?"

"That's the other thing," Yukiho replied. "I lied and said I was going to Alisa and Eli's house yesterday, but I went to his instead. We..." Yukiho's face turned a bright red. "We were only supposed to kiss, but then it went to... It went to groping, then it went to... You know... And then before we knew it, we went all the way!" She then covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Did I just say that out loud?"

Nozomi sighed. "Yukiho-chan, you love him, right?" Yukiho nodded. "And you two used protection, right?" Yukiho nodded again. "Then who cares?" Nozomi put her broom off to the side as she got passionate in her words. "You love him, he clearly loves you, nobody got pregnant or got an STD, and nobody is breaking the law. If your sister has a problem with it, well... Look, your sister is awesome, and she's a great friend, but she's gonna have to deal with it."

"I was hoping you'd talk to her about it," Yukiho replied. "When will you next see her?"

"Soon," Nozomi replied. "If anything happens before then, call me or text me, Yukiho." She then gave Yukiho her phone. "I'll add my number to your's if you give me your number to add to mine."

"Also," Yukiho said to her. "If it matters, I was the one who brought up the idea of sex, not him."

* * *

 

_December 11, 2013_

"So," Nozomi said to Honoka as they met in the deserted halls of Otonokizaka after school. "You brought me here because you found out that Yukiho is dating, right?"

"Correct," a visibly distressed Honoka replied. "She's dating a boy who's my age! It just seems to be too much of an age difference! What if he takes advantage of her?! What if he tries to get her to do something she doesn't want?! That Akamine Shinzo boy from UTX could be a predator in the making!"

Nozomi facepalmed in disbelief. "Oh my God, Honoka... Don't be so fucking ridiculous, please..." She then said, "You know, your sister told me about this before you found out, right?"

Honoka, shocked, said, "What?! She did?!"

"Yeah," Nozomi replied, now visibly annoyed with Honoka. "She also told me that she had sex with her boyfriend on the 6th, too."

Honoka gasped. "What?!"

"First off," Nozomi said. "Your sister isn't some little kid anymore. In fact, she was the one who started it. Second, again, Yukiho-chan is not a little kid, Honoka-san. She is not being taken advantage of. This is both of their first relationships, they both clearly love each other, and they both deserve your support. The fact that she told me first rather than her own family is pretty God damn sad, Honoka."

Honoka paused to collect her thoughts. Then, she said, "I..." She then sighed. "I guess you're right..." She then felt her phone buzz with a call. She answered it, saying, "Hello?"

On the other end of the line, Rin asked her, "Honoka-chan, I need some help with that Takao boy me and Hanayo are friends with."

* * *

 

_December 13, 2013_

"So," Takao said as he, Hanayo, and Rin talked amongst each other at Rin's house. "We need to set things straight here."

"Yeah," Hanayo said as Rin nodded. "Considering me and Rin almost had a yelling match over this 2 days ago, we need to all talk and get this cleared up."

Rin started off, saying, "Okay, so I think we're all clear now. Takao-kun, you don't like Hanayo as more than a friend, correct?" Takao nodded in agreement. "Okay, and Kayo-chin, you do not like Takao-kun as more than a friend, correct?"

Hanayo replied, "Nope. He's only a friend."

"Okay," Rin replied as she continued. "So, now we're all clear. I thought Takao-kun liked Kayo-chin, which would have left me in the dust since I like Takao-kun. Kayo-chin, you began to feel uncomfortable, since you thought Takao-kun liked you but you didn't reciprocate. However, as it turns out, Takao-kun likes me. Is that what's going on?"

Takao then said to Rin as he moved closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Rin-kun, yes. I do like you. I like you a lot."

Rin blushed in response. Hanayo smiled and said, "I'm glad we finally got this talked out. I'll leave you two to confess." She then laughed as she left the room. She thought to herself,  _"Those two really are destined for each other, it seems."_

Rin replied as she held Takao's hand, moving it from her shoulder. "I do, too..." She then sighed. "I never thought a boy would like me. I mean, look at me." She then stared down at herself. "My hair is short, my voice is relatively deep for a teenage girl, and... I lack a bit in the chest department." She laughed a bit before sighing again. "I always thought I was a bit too boyish for this."

"You're not," Takao replied. "Don't ever say that again, Rin, please." He then gave Rin a kiss on the cheek. "You're beautiful the way you are."

Rin paused, her face reddened as she stared at Takao. Then, suddenly, she wrapped one arm around Takao's head and quickly moved in for a kiss on the lips. Takao was startled at first, but quickly returned it. Once they parted, Rin hugged him and whispered into his ear, "I love you."

Takao whispered back, "I love you, too."

* * *

 

_January 31, 2014_

"Alright," Nico said to Nozomi as she gave her an electric guitar. "Don't be shy, Nozomi-san. I showed you the very basics. Now, play a note or two."

"I never knew you knew the guitar so well," Nozomi replied as she adjusted the straps on the guitar. She then played a few notes in random order.

"I tried to start an idol group years ago," Nico replied to Nozomi. "I have some idea of music theory and how to play instruments. You have to."

"This seems hard," Nozomi said as she played several more notes. "Are you sure I can do this?"

"You'll be fine," Nico replied. "It's not like you're playing to a crowd. Mess up all you want. You'll get the hang of it just like me. Listen, I mostly taught myself, with a lot of online help, while balancing school, this, and my home life. If I can do it with my schedule, you can do it, too." She then slightly turned up the volume of a small amp she had brought with her. "Keep going."

* * *

 

_March 29, 2014_

Maki, Nico, and Nozomi were all hanging out at Nico's house. All had a stressful week of work and school, and all needed a way to unwind. As they sat in Nico's room, they began talking about how Nico was giving Nozomi guitar lessons. "So yeah, she's getting pretty good at it. I even gave her my dad's old second guitar to use. He had two guitars he had used when he was younger. He gave them to me and was teaching me the basics when he died."

Nozomi said, "Nico-chan just taught me the solo to a song you love, Maki-chan." Nozomi then smiled and grabbed her guitar from its case as Nico plugged it into a small amp.

Maki said, wondering what the song was, "What is it?"

"I haven't gotten the whole thing down," Nozomi said. "So there may be some mistakes." She then readied her hands and fingers before she began playing. As soon as she did the first few notes, Maki instantly recognized it, despite a mistake in the first note.

"You're playing Bohemian Rhapsody's solo," Maki said as her eyes lit up. "Awesome!"

Nozomi smiled as she continued playing, Then, once the solo ended, she said, "I made some mistakes, but I'm improving."

"I taught her that because I knew you'd fangirl over it," Nico said before laughing. "Don't you have all the albums?"

"Yep," Maki replied. "I got them all from Queen I to Made In Heaven. I even got a few of their concerts, even some bootlegs of concerts I found on the internet, too. It helps that Queen's literally the most bootlegged band in the world."

"Wow," Nozomi replied. "You're pretty dedicated."


	3. Shove It

_Beacon Theatre, March 1, 2020_

µ's had played an energetic concert and had wowed the crowd so far. After various songs from their new album plus their high school days, as well as a middle section containing 4 Queen covers, they had jumped into START:DASH and No Brand Girls before playing three songs off their new album, the last one being On My Own, a Maki composition that dealt with a child finding their own path in life that also had some veiled disses against the band's old managers.

After the song ended with a short riff by Nico, the stage went dark again. Kotori loaded up a video onto the computers of her console and changed around the light patterns. She also pressed a button that quietly lowered a screen behind the band as Nozomi played a few notes to warm herself up.

Maki then sat at her piano and cleared her throat before adjusting the volume on her piano-mounted microphone. She thought to herself,  _"This is it. This song will make it or break it. You're playing to an audience who has never seen this song performed live as it was 45 years ago. You need to wow them to make sure they don't get mad at the middle section."_ She then sighed as the audience waited patiently. She moved her fingers over the piano keys and sighed again.

Then, she began playing the piano, playing a series of notes that the audience instantly recognized, though the song had been pitched up by a semitone. As the audience cheered and began to clap and sing along, Maki began.

_Mama... Just killed a man..._

_Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead..._

_Mama... Life had just begun..._

_But now I've gone and thrown it all away..._

A clash of cymbals by Hanayo signalled the next lines of the song.

_Mama... Oooooooooh..._

_Didn't mean to make you cry..._

_If I'm not back again this time tomorrow..._

_Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters..._

For the next part, Umi joined in by plucking her guitar strings to the melody of Maki's piano.

_Too late... My time has come..._

_Send shivers down my spine, bodies aching all the time..._

_Goodbye, everybody... I've got to go..._

_Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth!_

Nico then joined in, playing a low-pitched rhythm guitar part as the song picked up in intensity. The audience knew every word of the song.

_Mama... Oooooooooh..._

_I don't wanna die..._

_I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!_

Nozomi then moved to the front of the stage, confidently playing Bohemian Rhapsody's guitar solo. She clearly enjoyed it as the audience cheered and clapped her on. As she continued to play, she smiled and even hummed along to the solo.

Then, when the solo ended, the stage went dark. Nozomi bowed out, Maki jumped up from her piano, and the whole band went backstage as Kotori started up the music video of the song on the screen with the Operatic section playing. The band decided as a whole to replicate Queen's take on the song, which involved skipping the beginning Choir section and playing the Operatic section from tape and leaving the stage for its duration before returning for the rest of the song, as opposed to attempting both parts live. The version that would be on A Royal Tribute To Queen would contain both parts, sung and performed by the band. For any part of the Operatic section that contained the loud choir, a dazzle of lights filled the stage.

_I see a little silhouetto of a man!_

_Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?_

_THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTNING, VERY, VERY FRIGHTENING ME!_

_Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo Figaro!_

_Magnifico! (Oh, oh, oh, oh!)_

_I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me..._

_HE'S JUST A POOR BOY FROM A POOR FAMILY!  
_

_SPARE HIM HIS LIFE FROM THIS MONSTROSITY!_

_Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?_

_(Bismillah!) NO! WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_(Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_(Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!)_

_WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!) (Never, never...)_

_WILL NOT LET  YOU GO! (Never, never let me go!) (Oh, oh, oh oh!)_

_No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!_

_Oh mama mia, mama mia! MAMA MIA LET ME GO!  
_

_BEELZEBUB, HAS THE DEVIL PUT ASIDE FOR-_

As soon as the last line was uttered on the video, the band began to reemerge onto the dark stage. Nico, Umi, Eli, and Hanayo all began playing their instruments to signal the return of the band.

_ME! FOR ME! FOR ME!!!_

Then, a loud and powerful blast of pyrotechnics signalled the full return of the band. Maki, microphone and bottomless mic stand in hand, charged onto the stage as the crowd went wild. She then sang, full of energy in her moves and her voice.

_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?!_

_So you think you can love me and leave me to DIE?!_

_Ohhhhh, baby! Can't do this to me, baby!_

_Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here! (Yeah!)_

Then, Maki returned to her piano as Nico closed out the rock section of the song and Maki began playing the piano again. After playing a series of notes, the band moved into the final section of the song.

_Oooooh, yeah! Oooooh, yeah!_

_Nothing really matters... Anyone can see..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_To me..._

Then, Hanayo grabbed a mallet from behind her as she readied herself to bang a gong behind her as the song closed out.

_Anyway... The wind... Blows..._

Then, Hanayo smacked the gong with the mallet, producing a loud boom as Maki stood up from her piano with her mic and stand in one hand and her fist raised in triumph in the other. "Thank you! Thank you!"

 Honoka then emerged on the stage, saying, "Alright... This next song... This one was always a bit hard on stage since most of it consists of us singing by school year instead of the nine of us together... The English title of this song is We're All In This Moment, but it's more often known by its Japanese name of Bokura wa Ima no Naka de!"

Kotori then started up an instrumental violin track for the song and began playing a synthesizer keyboard next to her. Then, Hanayo began playing the drums to signal the rest of the song, which was noticeably different due to the addition of onstage guitars, primarily Nico's. Rin shouted, "You all know this! Let's go!" Maki went back to the piano.

_[Hon/Kot/Umi] Massugu na omoi ga minna wo musubu!_

_[Hon/Kot/Umi] Honki demo bukiyou butsukariau kokoro!_

_[Mak/Rin/Han] Sore demo mitai yo ookina yume wa!  
_

_[Mak/Rin/Han] Koko ni aru yo hajimatta bakari!_

_[Hon/Kot/Umi] (Wakatteru!) [Nic/Eli/Noz] Tanoshii dake ja nai tamesareru darou!_

_[Mak/Rin/Han] (Wakatteru!) [Nic/Eli/Noz] Datte sono kurushisa mo mirai!_

_[Mak/Rin/Han] (Ikunda yo!) [Hon/Kot/Umi] Atsumattara tsuyoi jibun ni natteku yo!_

_[Mak/Rin/Han] (Kitto ne!) [Nic/Eli/Noz] Kawaritsuzukete! [Hon/Kot/Umi] (We’ll be stars!)_

Maki then jumped up from her piano and joined Honoka and Rin.

_Sorezore ga suki na koto de ganbareru nara!_   


_Atarashii basho ga GOORU da ne!_   


_Sorezore no suki na koto wo shinjiteireba!_   


_Tokimeki wo daite susumeru darou!_

_Kowagaru kuse wa sutechae tobikiri no egao de!_

_Tonde tonde takaku bokura wa ima no naka de!_

This time, Rin went to the piano instead of Maki, giving her mic stand to a stage hand before sitting down at the piano. Additionally, Umi took over as the primary guitar on stage.

_[Mak/Rin/Han] Kangaeru dake yori minna de hashirou!_

_[Mak/Rin/Han] Ashita wa mikansei yosou dekinai chikara!_

_[Nic/Eli/Noz] Sore nara okoru yo kiseki wa hitsuzen!  
_

_[Nic/Eli/Noz] Kore kara da yo nanimokamo zenbu ga!_

_[Mak/Rin/Han] (Wakatteru!) [Hon/Kot/Umi] Kanashii toki ni koso ue wo muitemiyou!_

_[Nic/Eli/Noz] (Wakatteru!) [Hon/Kot/Umi] Motto subarashiku nare sekai!_

_[Nic/Eli/Noz] (Hoshiinda yo!) [Mak/Rin/Han] Kagayaki wo mune ni yadoshitai kara!_

_[Nic/Eli/Noz] (Gutto ne!) [Mak/Rin/Han] Kisoiaou yo! [Hon/Kot/Umi] (We can fly!)_

Rin got up from the piano and grabbed her mic stand to once again join Honoka and Maki as the whole band joined in for the chorus.

_Furikaeru hima nante nai ne sonna kibun sa!_   


_Firogaru yo kimi to doko made mo!_   


_Furikaeru hima nante nai to kanjiteiru yo!_   


_Shigeki e no kitai moriagatteku!_

_Yowaki na boku ni sayonara kesanaide egao de!_

_Tonde tonde takaku! Bokura to ima no naka wo!_

Nico then began playing a relatively improvised guitar solo up until the third verse came up. During rehearsals, the band couldn't figure out how to make this stretch of the song unique, so Nico decided to change up the solo every night and see what sticked.

_[Hon/Kot/Umi] Yume ga ookiku naru hodo! [Nic/Eli/Noz] Tamesareru darou!_

_[Nic/Eli/Noz] Mune no atsusa de norikire! [Mak/Rin/Han] Boku no ondo wa!_

_[Hon/Kot/Umi] Atsui kara! [Mak/Rin/Han] Atsusugite! [Nic/Eli/Noz] Tomaranai!_

_Mubou na kake? Kachi ni ikou!_

_[Hon/Kot/Umi] Sorezore ga suki na koto de ganbareru nara!_

_[Mak/Rin/Han] Atarashii! [Nic/Eli/Noz] Basho ga! [Hon/Kot/Umi] GOORU da ne!_

_Sorezore no suki na koto wo shinjiteireba!_

_Tokimeki wo aite susumeru darou!_

_Kowagaru kuse wa sutechae tobikiri no egao de!  
_

_Tonde tonde takaku bokura to ima wo!_

_Yowaki na boku ni sayonara kesanaide egao de!  
_

_Tonde tonde takaku (Honoka: Go for it!) (Audience: Bokura wa ima no naka de!)_

_Kagayaki wo matteta!_

Nico, Umi, and Nozomi then closed the song out with a short hard rock outro that ended with a clash of cymbals by Hanayo. As the crowd went wild, Maki said to them, "Eh... That song was always a bitch to perform live due to the rapid-fire changing of vocalists. Trust me, during rehearsals both now and back in 2012-2013, we would do some pretty big screw-ups while singing that song. It's still a great song, though." She then laughed.

* * *

  _June 8, 2014_

Nozomi and Honoka walked the streets of Tokyo on this sunny day. Now both having graduated from Otonokizaka, they both were attending college in Tokyo. As they walked through Akihabara, Nozomi said to her, "I find it odd nobody has noticed us."

"You're telling me," Honoka replied. "I mean, I don't mind it. I'm just surprised." She then changed subjects. "How's Eli doing in Russia?"

Nozomi stopped herself and paused. Then, she sighed and said, "She's doing fine. She... She met a boy named Yaroslav Shastin and they're going out now." It hurt Nozomi to say those words.

Honoka, noticing something wrong, asked her, "Nozomi-chan, are... Are you okay?"

"I... I'm fine," Nozomi replied, shaking her head. "It's nothing." She then put on a smile.

"Okay, whatever." Honoka decided not to press on the issue and deal with it later. "Have you met anyone at college yet?"

"There's a few cute girls there," Nozomi replied. "Even a boy or two I'm a bit interested in. Even so, the only experience I had was a truth or dare session at a sorority on campus during a party that went a bit far. Though I'm not a resident student, at least not yet, a classmate of mine told me I should go."

"Oh my," Honoka replied, blushing a little bit. "What do you mean by "a bit far?" I don't mind if you go in-depth. It's not like anyone can actually hear us over all the traffic."

Nozomi laughed and said, "Well, I got dared to eat a girl out for 10 seconds. I decided to instead bring her to a bedroom and go down on her, and she did for me, too. We went at it for like 16 minutes. When we got back, the girl that organized the truth and dare was shocked and said, "Yep, everyone, pack your bags and go home. Nozomi and Komaki win." We all laughed and continued playing. Neither of us remembered because we all started drinking until somebody told us about it."

Honoka could barely contain her laughter while at the same time blushing. "Oh my God... What else happened?"

"The group as a whole got dared to go streaking," Nozomi replied, also barely able to contain her laughter. "After some encouragement, I joined in. We ran for a couple minutes around the campus, and we surprisingly were not caught, before running back to the dorm. There were four guys with us ten girls. When we got back, we realized one of the guys and one of the girls was missing. I got dressed and ran out looking for them. I found them not too long afterwards having drunken outdoor sex behind a bunch of bushes. I quietly waited around the corner, let them finish, and then escorted them back to the dorm. Again, why nobody got caught, I have no clue."

Honoka burst out laughing, saying, "Oh my God... Nozomi, what the hell...?"

* * *

  _July 21, 2014_

Yukiho and Shinzo had just made it back to the Kousaka resident after spending the day together. Honoka waved hi to them as they went in. Yukiho and Shinzo both waved hi back. As they went to Yukiho's room, Honoka thought to herself,  _"I can't believe I thought he was some kind of creep. Hell, he's one of the best things to happen to my sister since she met Alisa."_

As they sat down in her room, Shinzo said to her, "That was a fun day, eh?"

"You bet," Yukiho replied. "How's the college life?"

"Pretty good," Shinzo replied. "It's a lot less structured than high school, Yukiho-chan."

Then, they were interrupted by a phone call on Yukiho's cellphone. Yukiho checked the number before answering it, recognizing it as Alisa's. She answered it, saying, "Hello?"

"Yukiho-chan," Alisa said, slightly panicking, on the other end of the line. "Something happened to Eli and her boyfriend Yaroslav in Russia."

Yukiho paused, then asked, "What happened? Was there a fight? Was there a breakup?"

"No," Alisa replied. "Neither of those things. It's worse. They got arrested."

"Arrested?!" Yukiho was shocked. Shinzo was wondering what his girlfriend was talking about. "What were they arrested for?" She then turned to the door and yelled, "Oneesan! Come in here! Something happened to Eli!"

Honoka, outside the door, immediately ran in, a look of worry on her face as she asked, "What happened to Eli-san?!"

Alisa then said to Yukiho, "It... It happened so fast."

Then, Honoka forcefully grabbed the phone from Yukiho, annoying her, before she said to Alisa, "What happened to Eli?"

"Honoka-san? Oh, hey!" Alisa then got back to the subject. "Eli and her boyfriend got arrested at a protest in Moscow. There's a video of her shouting, "My best friend over in Japan likes other girls!" as she gets taken away by police with her boyfriend. It looks like they beat her up a bit, too. It was an LGBT protest."

Honoka asked her, "An LGBT protest?! Does Nozomi-san know?"

"I haven't called her yet," Alisa replied. "I was hoping you would tell the group. I'll text Yukiho the video on her phone with the timestamp of when Eli-oneesan and Yaroslav-san show up."

* * *

  _One day earlier, Moscow, Russia_

Eli and Yaroslav marched in solidarity in the center of Moscow amongst a group of over 300 LGBT Russians and their non-LGBT supporters. Both had personal stakes in the movement: Eli with Nozomi, and Yaroslav with a close friend who had come out as gay to him a year before. Eli and Yaroslav held up a large sign that read, "Straight But Not Narrow, LOVE IS LOVE" in English, Japanese, and Russian.

As the marchers stood in the middle of a public square, numerous onlookers viewed them. Some supported them, others just watched, and then others ridiculed and mocked them. Eli shouted in Russian, "My best friend back home is a proud bisexual!"

Then, a passerby heard her and shouted back, "Your best friend will burn in hell, faggot!"

Yaroslav then retorted, "First off, my girlfriend may not be a homosexual, but she is not a narrominded fool like you! Second, her best friend will go farther in life than you ever will!"

"Whatever," said the passerby as he walked away. "I cannot believe a heterosexual couple like you two is defending this degeneracy! I'm outta here!" He then left.

A transgender woman told Eli, "Don't mind assholes like him. You get used to that after a while."

"I don't," Eli replied as she smiled. "In fact, I wish him well. You see, I'll be laughing my head off when he's the one burning in Hell." She then nonchalantly giggled.

"Oh my God," replied the woman. "That's harsh, but true."

Suddenly, several police cars pulled up. Yaroslav said, "Fuck, the police!"

Eli replied, "Stay firm and stand your ground, Yaro!" She then shouted again, "I stand by my best friend back home!"

Two police officers walked up to Eli and grabbed her and Yaroslav before dragging them out of the square as a bystander filmed. A third and fourth police officer then pulled their batons out and whacked Eli and Yaroslav in the head a few times, even smashing Eli's nose in and causing her to scream and bleed profusely. After the beating ceased, another officer yelled in her face, "Hey dyke-lover, we don't accept your best friend's kind in our fatherland!

Eli retorted, "You don't scare me at all. How many gay kids have you arrested today?"

"Not enough, you stupid Yaposhka," the officer replied, saying a derogatory word for Japanese people in Russian. He then turned to Yaroslav, saying, "I can't believe one of my own countrymen is sleeping with a homosexual-loving Pizdaglaz like this bitch." Pidzaglaz literally meant "vagina/cunt-eyes."

Yaroslav replied, "You really want me to punch you, asshole, don't you?"

"Try me," the officer replied. Then, Eli and Yaroslav were hoisted up back to their feet and led to a patrol car together.

Eli shouted, "I am a citizen of Japan, here as a foreign student of Moscow State University! My best friend over in Japan likes other girls, and nobody here or there is gonna change that!" Then, after Yaroslav was pushed into the car, she shouted before being thrown into the car next to him, "Putin khuilo!" Translated, it meant, "Putin is a dickhead!"

* * *

  _July 23, 2014_

Nozomi said to Eli on the phone, "So, you're back at classes?"

"Yep," Eli replied. "I was in jail for the whole weekend before they let me out. I just gotta go to court." She then sighed. "You saw the video, right?"

"I did," Nozomi replied. "I am very proud of you, Elicchi. If I was in Russia, I would have stood right next to you and Yaroslav."

"I got bandaged for my wounds and the broken nose," Eli said to her. "I miss you guys. Me and Yaroslav are getting the hell out of Russia as soon as we can. Putin is going overboard."

"I can't blame you," Nozomi replied. "I just hope it won't screw up your Music Production degree too badly, especially since it's MSU of all schools."

"Tell me about it," Eli replied. "I love MSU and Russia as a place, but politically, Russia is getting too dangerous to finish my degree here."

* * *

  _March 1, 2020_

Back in New York City, in the present, the concert was in the home stretch. The final three songs were in reach.

Honoka said to the audience, "This next song is a bit of a punk rocker, so go bang your heads to this! This is a song from the album News Of The World by Queen, I hope you enjoy it." Then, Nozomi did a short slide of her guitar as Honoka began singing the next song.

_Well, you're just 17! All you wanna do is disappear!_

_Yeah, you know what I mean! There's a lotta space between your ears!_

_The way that you touch! Don't feel nu nu nothing!_

_(Hon/Mak/Rin): Hey, hey hey hey! It was the DNA!_

_(Hon/Mak/Rin): Hey, hey, hey, hey! That made me this way!_

_Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?  
_

_(Hon/Mak/Rin): Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_(All): SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_(All): SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_(All): REEEEEEEEAL CARDIAC!_

_I feel so (All): INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INARTICULATE!_

_Gotta feelin', gotta feelin', gotta feelin', like a paralyse!_

_It ain't no, it ain't no, it ain't no, it ain't no surprise!_

_Turn on the T.V. let it drip right down in your eyes!  
_

_(Hon/Mak/Rin): Hey, hey hey hey! It was the DNA!_

_(Hon/Mak/Rin): Hey, hey, hey, hey! That made me this way!_

_Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_(Hon/Mak/Rin): Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_(All): SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_(All): SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_(All): REEEEEEEEAL CARDIAC!_

_I feel so (All): INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INARTICULATE!_

After this line, Honoka began wildly dancing around on stage, basically going crazy as the audience cheered on.

_Just how I feel!_

_(Hon/Mak/Rin): Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

After this line, Honoka ran up behind an amp and pushed it to the ground before swinging her mic stand like a golf club. Umi laughed and said to Honoka in Japanese, "Go Honoka!"

_Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_Do you know, do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_(All): SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_(All): SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_(All): REEEEEEEEAL CARDIAC!_

Then, the song abruptly ceased, and the audience cheered. Honoka, by now, was laughing on stage at her own antics. "Oh wow! That was... That was pretty wild..."

Then, Maki walked to her piano and sat down, giving her mic stand to a stage hand before playing some keys. "Alright, folks. We're onto the final two songs of our concert. This next song is a number that means a lot to us. This is called Snow Halation!" She then began playing the beginning on the piano.

_ [Hon/Umi/Noz] Fushigi da ne ima no kimochi... Sora kara futte kita mitai... _

Then, Nozomi, Nico, and Umi all joined in on the guitar.

_ [Han/Nic/Eli] Tokubetsu na kisetsu no iro ga... Tokimeki wo miseru yo... _

_ [Kot/Rin/Mak] Hajimete deatta toki kara! _

_ [Kot/Han/Rin/Mak/Nic/Eli] Yokan ni sawagu... Kokoro no melody! _

_ [Hon/Umi/Noz] Tomerarenai tomaranai! _

_ Naze! _

Maki quickly got up from her piano, her mic stand in hand, as she sang the chorus with the rest of the band.

_ Todokete setsunasa ni wa! _

_ Namae wo... Tsukeyou ka “Snow Halation!” _

_ Omoi ga kasanaru made! _

_ Matezu ni... Kuyashii kedo sukitte junjou! _

_ Binetsu no naka... Tameratte mo dame da ne! _

_ Tobikomu yuuki ni sansei... Mamonaku Start! _

Maki quickly ran to her piano and began playing it again after the chorus ended.

_ [Kot/Rin/Mak] Oto mo naku kehai mo naku... Shizuka ni unmei wa kawaru... _

_ [Han/Nic/Eli] Kore kara no mirai ni mune no kodou ga hayaku naru... _

_ [Kot/Rin/Mak] Tatoeba komatta toki ni wa! _

_ [Kot/Han/Rin/Mak/Nic/Eli] Sugu kaketsukete... Dakishimetakute! _

_ [ Hon/Umi/Noz ] Doko ni ite mo doko demo! _

_ Fly High! _

Maki again got up from her piano for the second chorus.

_ Isoide itsu no ma ni ka! _

_ Ookiku... Narisugita “True Emotion!” _

_ Yume dake miteru you ja!  
_

_ Tsurai yo koibito wa kimitte iitai! _

_ Yasashii me ga... Tomadotteru iya da yo! _

_ Kono mama ikki ni aijou... Azukete Please! _

Then, the spotlights centered on Umi, who played a soft guitar solo in between the second and third choruses as the audience clapped on and Kotori triggered several smoke machines to activate on stage. Maki also returned to her piano for this section.

_ (Honoka: I want you to sing on my cue!) [Hon] Todokete setsunasa ni wa... _

_ [Hon/Umi/Noz] Namae wo tsukeyou ka! (Honoka: Go!) (Audience: SNOW HALATION!) _

Maki then got up from her piano again.

_ Omoi ga kasanaru made! _

_ Matezu ni... Kuyashii kedo sukitte junjou! _

_ Binetsu no naka... Tameratte mo dame da ne! _

_ Tobikomu yuuki ni sansei... (Honoka: One more time!) (Audience: Mamonaku Start!) _

Then, Maki returned to her piano to help close out the song. Once the song closed out, the audience cheered.

This time, Nozomi introduced the final song of the concert, saying, "This has been a wonderful concert, ladies and gentlemen! Now, I wanna turn it over to Nishikino Maki, who will be singing the final song tonight. We hope we've left you In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited!" Maki then began playing a long introduction on her piano as the audience cheered. The Queen song had been given new life when µ's covered it and released it as a single. Then, once the piano intro had ended, Maki began singing as more smoke machines started up on stage.

_It's so easy, but I can't do it..._   


_It's so risky, but I gotta chance it..._

_It's so funny, but there's nothing to laugh about..._

_My money, that's all you wanna talk about!_

_I can see, what, you, want me to be..._

_But I'm no fool!_

_It's in the lap of the Gods!_

_Woah, woah, la la la, woah!_

_I can see what you want me to be..._

_But I'm no fool!_

_There's no beginning, there's no ending..._

_There's no meaning, in my pretending..._

_But believe me, life goes on and on and on..._

_Forgive me, when I ask you where do I belong..._

_You say I... (All but Maki: You can do it!) Can't... (All but Maki: You can do it!) Set... (All but Maki: You can do it! Go be free!) You free, from me..._

_But that's not true!_

Nico and Umi then joined Nozomi on the guitar as the song picked up intensity.

_It's in the lap of the Gods!_

_Woah, woah, la la la, woah!_

_I can see what you want me to be..._

_But I'm no fool!_

_ It's in the lap of the Gods! _

_ (All) Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ (All) Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

_ But that's not true! _

Maki then got up from her piano and grabbed her mic stand to continue singing, the audience clapping along.

_ It's in the lap of the Gods! _

_ (All) Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ (All) Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

_ But I'm no fool! _

_ It's in the lap of the Gods! _

_ (All) Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ (All) Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

  _It's in the lap of the Gods! (Maki: YOU SING IT!)_

The whole band gave the audience the second half of the chorus while Maki conducted them with her free hand.

_ (Audience) Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ (Audience) Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

_ But I'm no fool! _

_ It's in the lap of the Gods! (Maki: ONE LAST TIME!) _

_ (Audience) Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ (Audience) Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

Then, as the song closed out, Maki shouted, "DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!" She then bowed as the song ended with a thunderous explosion over the speakers as the stage went dark and the audience cheered. µ's' first major concert in North America since 2014, and Aqours' first North American concert ever, was an astounding success, being watched not only by the concertgoers, but also by a televised audience of around 16 million on several T.V. stations across the United States and Canada and a further 1.5 million on Internet livestreams around the world. Both bands were officially on their way to conquering the whole world.

* * *

 After the concert, Maki and Riko went back to their hotel room, drunk off their feet after a huge afterparty, and stumbled onto the bed, giggling and laughing. Riko said, "Thanks for giving me drinks from the bar. It's still fuckin' stupid that you can't drink here until you're 21."

"Tell me about it," Maki replied before burping slightly and laughing. "That was the best night of my life... That concert was awesome..."

"Hell yeah," Riko replied. "I can't wait for tomorrow's. Wow, like, 18 million people saw us... I don't think that many people have seen µ's or Aqours live before put together." She then yawned. "I'm tired, but I also wanna do some stuff."

"I know what you mean," Maki replied, smiling and blushing as she took her shirt off and went down to her bra. "Wanna have some fun, Riko?"

"Of course," Riko replied before pulling Maki in for a kiss. After they split, she said. "I wonder if Nozomi found somebody tonight."

"I saw her talking to an American couple at the party," Maki replied. "Her eyes lit up as they were talking, and they all walked to Nozomi's hotel room together. I think the guy in the couple is into threesomes with other girls."

All of a sudden, they both heard banging noises from next door, followed by moans from what sounded like Nozomi. Riko replied, "Yep, that's her, alright." The two then laughed. "Let's get on with it and see if we can be louder than that ménage à trois."

* * *

_March 2, 2020_

At breakfast, Honoka and Chika talked to each other about their respective bands. "So," Chika said to Honoka. "I still can't believe I'm touring with my inspiration."

"Trust me," Honoka replied. "If I was in your shoes, I'd be fainting like 90% of the time, Chika-chan." The two then laughed. "By the way, I got word back from corporate. They say sales on both of our new albums and their singles are picking up even more speed due to the concert."

"Good," Chika replied after she drank some coffee. "I hope that when our next album comes out, we can do a standalone tour of North America. I gotta say, Maki-chan's suggestion of using Flash Gordon's Theme and The Hero for our intro was a good idea. We ought to use it for all of our concerts now, really."

"It really was," Honoka replied as she ate some toast. After swallowing it, she said, "Alright, ready for today's concert?"

"You bet I am," Chika replied, confident and focused. "Let's give America and Canada two names they won't forget: Aqours!"

Honoka quickly followed up with, "And µ's!" They then both high-fived each other and nodded.


	4. Death On Two Legs

_March 11, 2020, Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Pennsylvania_

"Okay...," said Chika after Aqours finished the new song, talking to the audience, "Life Of Style." "This... This next one is actually a composition by a sub-unit within Aqours called Guilty Kiss. You see, back in our high school idol days, we would have these groups within the band called sub-units that would make their own songs. After we all graduated, uhh... We made all the sub-unit songs part of our set. This song is called Strawberry Trapper, and it's probably the hardest rock song we've ever made."

Ruby hit her hi-hat 6 times to lead Mari, Yoshiko, and Riko into the song. Yoshiko emerged from her console and grabbed Chika's microphone and mic stand. For this song, Chika would operate the SFX and sound console/synthesizer. Then, the three of them all said to start off, "Ready?!"

Mari then began playing the guitar for a bar, followed by Dia and You joining in with the secondary guitar and bass.

_[ALL]: Mattenai yo Love!_

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Rik]: Mitsuketa! Kimi wa..._

_[Rik]: Sabishii hitomi datta..._

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Yos]: Kodou ga natteru..._

_[Yos]: "Te ni irenasai" to!_

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Mar:] Reisei na hodo..._

_[Mar]: Atsusa wo tanoshimeru no!_

_[Mar]: Takamaru omoi wa osaete!_

_([Rik/Mar]: Shizuka ni!) [Yos]: Atsumeru kimi no jouhou!_

_([Rik/Yos]: Dashika ni!) [Mar:] Kachi aru sensitive mind!_

_[Rik]: Haigo ni atsumeru... Suriru ga tamaranai... Nerai sadametara nigasanai kara!_

_[GK]: Nigasanai kara! ([Mar]: My target!)_

_[ALL]: Trapped in dice! Koi no wana kara!_

_[ALL]: Trapped by night! Hajimaritai!_

_[ALL]: Trapped in hearts! Odori nagara jinsei no umei!_

_[ALL]: Unmei wa! Arikitari ja tsumaranai!_

_[ALL]: Tokubetsu wo kanjitai no!_

_[ALL]: Ubaitai kimi no koto! Mattenai yo Love!_

The band decided to include the vocals of all 9 members of the band for the chorus. The audience loved the song, though most could not understand it.

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Yos:] Obieru kao ga!_

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Yos:] Mitai no nante sa!_

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Mar:] Takuramu toki wa!_

_[Mar:] Kitto warui kao ne!_

_[Rik]: Itadakitai no wa... Sono kokoro yo!_

_[Rik]: Morokute ayaui yasashisa!_

_([Rik/Mar]: Shizuka ni!) [Yos]: Kodoku wo aisuru kimi!_

_([Mar/Yos]: Tashikana!) [Rik:] Kagayaki hanatsu no!_

_[Mar]: Kidzukarenai uchi ni... Watashi no mono ni shitai!_

_[Mar]: Nerai sadame da yo nigasanai kara!_

_[GK]: Nigasanai kara! ([Yos]: My target!)_

_[ALL:] Tricky dice! Koi no Kaketara!_

_[ALL:} Tricky night! Ato no hikena!_

_[ALL:} Tricky Heart! Katsu dake desho jinsei wa ruureto!_

_[ALL:} Unmei to! Wakaru deai suteki da wa!_

_[ALL:] Tokubetsu wo kanjitara!_

Then, Yoshiko began a vocal solo.

_[Yos:] Yohane, shoukkan! Te ni irete himetaru koe wa!_

_[Yos:] Berry no kaori Trapped in One Night!_

_[Yos]: Akai Berry amaku tsuyoku! Shitatatte!_

It was immediately followed by a blazing guitar solo by Mari, backed up by Dia and Kanan. Mari took center stage alongside them as many in the crowd began to headbang to the solo, amusing Mari.

_[Mar:] Tricky dice! [Yos:] Koi no kaketara!_

_[Mar:] Tricky night! [Rik:] Ato ni hikenai_

_[Mar:] Tricky heart! [Yos:] Katsu dake desho!_

_[Yos/Rik:] Jinsei wa ruureto! [Mar:] (Lock! On!)_

_[ALL]: Trapped by night! Hajimaritai!_

_[ALL]: Trapped in hearts! Odori nagara jinsei no umei!_

_[ALL]: Unmei wa! Arikitari ja tsumaranai!_

_[ALL]: Tokubetsu wo kanjitai no!_

_[ALL]: Ubaitai kimi no koto! Mattenai yo amai! Amai! Berry!_

_[ALL:] Kokoro ni aka no yuukawa! Berry! Trapper!_

_[GK:] Nerai sadameta yo!_

The whole crowd went wild for Aqours once the song finished. Mari bowed and said, "Thank you, thank you! Domo arigatou gozaimashita! All of you! Now, let's move on to our next song, shall we?"

* * *

 

Later on, in µ's' setlist, they had just wrapped up Love Marginal. Now, all that remained on the stage was Rin, who sat at the piano. The crowd, wondering why Rin was alone, anticipated that she was going to do a solo song.

Rin smiled and said to the audience, "Hello! If you do not know, I am Hoshizora Rin!" The crowd cheered. "Arigatou... Arigatou... Anyways, this... This next song is a cover. These next few songs are covers, actually. This song has not been recorded yet by the band. This is a number I would like to dedicate to a young man I met some time ago after µ's split up the first time. This is called You Take My Breath Away." The audience clapped as Rin got ready. Each line got progressively higher in pitch.

_Oooooooh... Ooooh Ooooooh..._

_[ALL BUT RIN:] Take it, take it, all away..._

_Oooooooh..._

_[ALL BUT RIN:] Take my breath away...._

_Oooooooh..._

_[ALL BUT RIN:] You... Take my breath away...._

Then, Rin began playing the piano, playing a few chords before going into the melody of the song, playing the only instrument in the song so far.

_Look into my eyes and you'll see, I'm the only one..._

_You've captured my love, stolen my heart, changed my life..._

_Every time you make a move, you destroy my mind..._

_And the way you touch... I lose control and shiver... Deep inside..._

_You take my breath away..._

Rin was clearly passionate about the song, and didn't even have to look down at her piano to play the keys.

_ You can reduce me to tears, with a single sigh... [ALL BUT RIN:] Please don't cry anymore... _

_ Every breath that you take, any sound that you make, is a whisper in my ear... _

_ I could give up all my life... For just one kiss... _

_ I would surely die... If you dismissed me from your love... _

_ You take my breath away... _

Rin then paused for a short second to look backstage and smile. She then got back to playing the song.

_ So please don't go... Don't leave me here all by myself... _

_ I get ever so lonely, from time to time... _

_ I will find you... Anywhere you go, I'll be right behind you! _

_ Right until the end of the Earth! _

_ I'll get no sleep 'till I find you, to tell you, that you just... _

_ Take my breath away... _

After this line, Nozomi and Umi played their guitars softly in a slow solo. The audience was completely quiet, listening intently.

_ I will find you... Anywhere you go... _

_ Right until the end of the Earth! _

_ I'll get no sleep 'till I find you, to tell you, when I've found you... _

_ I love you... _

Rin then closed out the song on the piano. She smiled and saw Takao walk out on stage from backstage. She hugged him and whispered in his ear in Japanese, "All for you, love..."

Takao smiled and whispered back, "All for you as well..." They then split and gave each other a short kiss as the audience cheered for the couple. Then, Takao walked backstage.

Rin then went back to the piano and said in English, "I'll turn it over to Nozomi now."

"Thank you," Nozomi replied as she approached the audience at her fixed microphone stand, her guitar in hand. "THis next one is three songs rolled into one, Tenement Funster, Flick Of The Wrist, and Lily of the Valley. I'll be singing the first part, Rin will sing the second, and Maki will sing the third. Let's go!" She then began strumming her guitar, making an acoustic-like effect before she began singing.

_My new purple shoes, bin' amazin' the people next door..._

_And my rock 'n roll 45's, bin' enragin' the folks on the lower floor..._

Then, the rest of the band joined in.

_I got a way with girls on my block, try my best be a real individual..._

Then, Nozomi began singing in a higher voice, indicating the song was taking a heavier turn.

_ And when we go down to Smokies and rock, they line up like it's some kinda ritual... _

_Oh give me a good guitar, and you can say that my hair's a disgrace!  
_

_Or, just find me an open car, I'll make the speed of light outta this place!_

Then, Umi began playing a short guitar solo with a delay effect as it was switched on by Kotori.

_I like the good things in life! But most of the best things ain't free! [ALL BUT NOZOMI:] Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!_

_And this same situation, just cuts like a knife... When you're young, and you're poor, and you're crazy!_

_[Mak:] Young and you're crazy... Young and you're crazy... Young and you're crazy... [Han:] Young and you're crazy!_

_But oh, give me a good guitar, and you can say that my hair's a disgrace!  
_

_Or, just find me an open car, I'll make the speed of light outta this place!_

Then, the song began to transition away from Tenement Funster, as it did on the Queen album Sheer Heart Attack, before Rin began playing the guitar to signal the next section, a cover "dedicated" to Toru Hosono,  µ's old manager. After several bars, Nozomi joined in with her guitar, and Rin stood up from her piano, bottomless mic in hand, and began singing.

_Dislocate your spine if you don't sign he says... I'll have you seeing double!_

_Mesmerize you when he's tongue-tied, simply with those eyes!_

_Synchronize your minds and see, the beast within him rise..._

_[ALL:] Don't look back! Don't look back! [Rin:] It's a ripoff!_

_[ALL:] Flick of the wrist! [Rin:] And you're dead baby!_

_[ALL:] Blow him a kiss! [Rin:] And you're mad!_

_[ALL:] Flick of the wrist! [Rin:] He'll eat your heart out!_

_[ALL:] A dig in the ribs! [Rin:] And then a kick in the head!_

_He's taken an arm, and taken a leg!_

_[ALL:] All, this, time, honey... [Rin:] Baby, you've been had..._

The audience cheered and clapped on as Rin continued to sing her heart out. She had requested that the band tack the medley onto their setlist after Maki had played Sheer Heart Attack in full to the band. Besides Honoka, she was the one that was the most angry at Toru, mostly due to his attempts to sabotage her relationship with Takao that almost succeeded.

_Intoxicate your brain with what I'm saying, if not you'll lie in knee-deep trouble!_

_Prostitute yourself he says, castrate your human pride!  
_

_Sacrifice your leisure days, let me squeeze you 'till you've dried!_

_[ALL:] Don't look back! Don't look back! [Rin:] It's a ripoff!_

Then, Nozomi began playing a wild guitar solo, backed up by Nico and Umi as Rin temporarily returned to the piano. The audience knew little, if at all, about µ's' problems with their old manager, but understood that the song was very harsh. Then, Rin got back up to sing the rest of the song.

_Work my fingers to my bones, I scream with pain! I still make no impression!_

_Seduce you with his money-make machine, cross-collateralize! ([ALL BUT RIN:] Big-time money, money!)_

_Reduce you to a muzak-fake machine, then the last goodbye! ([ALL BUT RIN:] Aah! Aah! Aah! Aah!) It's a ripoff!_

_[ALL:] Flick of the wrist! [Rin:] And you're dead baby!_

_[ALL:] Blow him a kiss! [Rin:] And you're mad!_

_[ALL:] Flick of the wrist! [Rin:] He'll eat your heart out!_

_[ALL:] A dig in the ribs! [Rin:] And then a kick in the head!_

_He's taken an arm, and taken a leg!_

_[ALL:] All, this, time, honey... [Rin:] Baby, you've been had..._

Now, Maki took over, playing a slow and soft melody on the piano before singing.

_I am forever searching high and low... But why does everybody tell me no..._

_Neptune of the seas... Have you an answer for me please... And the lily of the valley doesn't know..._

_I lie in wait with open eyes... I carry on through stormy skies..._

_I follow every course... My kingdom for a horse... But each time I grow old...  
_

_Serpent of the Nile... Relieve me for a while... And cast me from your spell! [ALL:] And let me go!_

_Messenger from Seven Seas has flown... To tell the King of Rhye he's lost his throne!_

_Wars will never cease... Is there time enough for peace... The lily of the valley doesn't know..._

The whole song then closed out with a soft guitar outro by Nico. The whole band then stood up and bowed from their positions. Maki then said from her piano, "Good job, everyone! I'm telling you, that medley is one of my favorite parts of the concert. Now, this... This next one is from the album Jazz. No, it's unfortunately not Fat Bottomed Girls, but it's still pretty good nonetheless." She then stood up from her piano and grabbed her bottomless mic. "Now, if you know this, do join in."

_Iiiiiiiibrahiiiiim..._

_Iiiiiiiibrahiiiiim..._

_Iiiiiiiibrahiiiiim..._

_Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, we'll pray for you... Hey!_

Indeed, several people in the audience had recognized the song and sang along to the intro.Maki then returned to her piano and began playing on it as the audience clapped along to the beat of the song, which was called Mustapha.

_Mustapha Ibrahim, Mustapha Ibrahim..._

_Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, we'll pray for you..._

_Mustapha Ibrahim, al havra kris vanin..._

_Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, we'll pray for you..._

_Mustapha... Hey, hey! Mustapha!_

_Mustapha Ibrahiiiiiim!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha Ibrahiiiiiim!_

_Ah! Allah-i, Allah-i, Allah-i!_

_Ibra-Ibra-Ibrahim, yeah!  
_

_Ibrahim, Ibrahim, Ibrahim!_

_Allah Allah Allah-i hey!  
_

Maki then got up from her piano once a stage hand handed her her mic stand.

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha! [Maki:] Allah-i na stolei!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha! [Maki:] Achtar es na sholei!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha! [Maki:] Mochamut dei ya low eshelei!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha! [Maki:] Ai ai ai ai ahelei!_

_[ALL:] Mustaphaaaa! Mustaphaaaa!_

_Ist avil ahiln avil ahiln adhim Mustapha! As-salaam aleikum!_

Maki then began hammering away at the piano again, leading to a short instrumental break before jumping right back into the song.

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha!_

_[ALL:] Mustaphaaaa! Mustaphaaaa!_

_Ist avil ahiln avil ahiln adhim Mustapha! As-salaam aleikum!_

Maki then closed the song out with a long piano outro before ending with a few hits of the highest keys on the piano. She then got up from the piano as the audience cheered. Honoka quickly took her position on the piano and said to the audience, "Alright, this last one in this mini-set of covers is a song I have some attachment to, though it's definitely not positive. Remember how harsh Rin was with Flick of the Wrist? This tops that. This is about a nasty old motherfucker of a gentleman we had the displeasure of once knowing." Honoka had kept her intro clean on the New York dates, but from now on, she would get pretty vulgar while describing Toru on stage without naming him. "This song accurately describes all of our feelings towards that man. It's called Death on Two Legs!" Honoka then began playing a long piano intro before Nico jumped in with her guitar. After the intro built up, it stopped, and Honoka began playing several notes to a beat. Then, the rest of the band joined in. After the intro was complete, Honoka jumped up from her piano and began singing with her mic.

_You suck my blood like a leech! You break the law and you preach!_

_You screw my brain 'till it hurts! You've taken all, my, money... And you want more!_

_Misguided old mule! With your pigheaded rules! With your narrow minded cronies who are foooools, of the first division!_

_[ALL:] Death on two legs! [Honoka:] You're tearing me apart!_

_[ALL:] Death on two legs! [Honoka:] You never had a heart of your own!_

_[ALL:] Killjoy! Bad guy! Big talking... Small fry! [Honoka:] You're just an old barrow-boy! Have you found a new toy..._

_To replace me?! Can you face me?!_

Then, Honoka turned her back to the audience and pointed at herself before turning back around.

_But now you can kiss... My ass goodbye!_

_[ALL:] Feel good! Are you satisfied?! Do you feel like... Suicide? [ALL BUT HONOKA:] I think you should!_

_Is your conscience all right?! Does it plague you at night?! Do you feel good?! [ALL:] FEEL GOOD?!_

Then, Nico played a guitar solo for a few bars before the song went into it's second verse.

_You talk like a big business tycoon, but you're just a hot-air balloon!_

_So no one gives you a damn! You're just an overgrown school boy! Let me tan your hide!_

_You're a dog with disease! You're the King of the sleaze! Put your money where your mouth is Mister Know-All!_

_Was the fin on your back part of the deal? SHARK!_

_[ALL:] Death on two legs! [Honoka:] You're tearing me apart!_

_[ALL:] Death on two legs! [Honoka:] You never had a heart of your own! [ALL BUT HONOKA:] You never did! Right from the start!_

_[ALL:] Insane! You should be put inside! You're a sewer rat decaying in a cesspool of pride!_

_You should be made unemployed! Make yourself null and void! That'd make me feel good!_

_[ALL:] I FEEL GOOD!_

The audience cheered, stunned by the brutality of the song but impressed by the band's performance. Honoka bowed and said, "Thank you! Thank you! I just love getting that anger out of my system by singing that up on stage!"

* * *

 

_January 18, 2019_

"I fucking hate Toru," Nico said as the band met up at Nozomi's house. "There, I said it. I gave him a chance, and he squandered it."

"Finally, you're on our page," Honoka replied to Nico, who was the last holdout in terms of having any sort of respect for Toru. "Once we can, we are getting the hell out of that contract. I already have a deal lined up with another management company."

"Thank the Lord," Maki replied. "With the whole parents thing I have going on, I don't need Hosono-kun's bullshit in my life." The band had gotten used to calling Toru "Hosono-kun" behind his back as an insult.

"Me and Takao are still repairing things after the argument," Rin said, sad and angry. "I still can't believe our manager would actively try to get us to break up!" She slammed her fist on the table in rage before taking a deep breath. "That is just sick!"

"And he sure likes to pay us on the cheap," Eli replied. "We're pulling in huge crowds all over Japan and we're selling records everywhere and we're topping the charts in Japan, and we're only getting paid 5 million yen a year*? That's not much higher than the GDP per capita of Japan, and that's lower than the GDP per capita of America." She was angry because the relatively low pay was hurting her opportunities on house-buying in the expensive Tokyo region. "I tried asking for a bit more so me and Yaroslav could put a down payment on a house, but Toru and his brother said no."

Kotori said to add to the conversation, "I rarely swear or curse, but I can't help but do it whenever I think of him. That damn... Ugh..." She then sighed. "If we don't dump him soon, he's gonna break us apart."

Umi told Kotori, "Don't say that. We'll make it through this, with or without him." She then turned to the group, "We need to stay together."

Hanayo said to the group, "I'm with Umi-chan. We've gotten pretty far now. We can't turn back."

Nozomi nodded and added, "Hosono-kun will not destroy our friendship. He cannot win."

Maki said as she pulled out a disc from her bag, "I want you to listen to these two songs. I have translations for them on a piece of paper. Just try to tell me that these two songs don't perfectly describe how we feel." She then popped the disc into a CD player on the table and pressed play.

As Death on Two Legs played, Nozomi's eyes widened with shock at how harsh the song was. "Oh my God... Maki, this is..." The rest of the band also began to understand the song as it went on and displayed similar reactions.

Honoka said, "It's perfect. I'd love to sing it on stage or something, but it doesn't seem to fit our style for now. Plus, we'd get in trouble if we did." She then sighed. "I just really wanna vent my anger more."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5 million Japanese Yen is worth about 48,889 US Dollars.


	5. Chapter 5: Ford's Theatre

_May 8, 2020_

μ’s and Aqours were to play 4 nights at the historic Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. to sold-out crowds. The decision to play in the small theatre owed to the fact that all 4 concerts were for a charity dedicated to preserving historical buildings and places. From this concert forward on the North American leg of the Shove It Tour, the band decided to wear their Boku-Ima outfits on stage, minus the hats that originally came with them.

26 songs into μ’s' setlist, after the band had wrapped up KiRa-KiRa Sensation!, Maki approached the audience, mic in hand, saying, "Thank you! Now, this next song was never performed live until this tour, though it dates from our high school days. This is called Datte Datte Aa Mujou!"

Then, as the crowd cheered, Umi began on the guitar and Nozomi backing her. The shamisen in the original song had been replaced with an acoustic guitar played by Nico. Maki also began playing the piano, giving her mic to a stage hand. Kotori loaded up pyrotechnics and began playing a synthesized violin on her keyboard. Eli then moved in to her mic to start off.

_[Eli] Ima ga itoshii no yo..._

_[Rin] Sadame ni sekasarete..._

_[Umi] dakishimeru shunkan ni wakare no kehai..._

_[Kotori/Nozomi/Honoka] Matteru zutto matteru..._

_[Kotori/Nozomi/Honoka] Samayou kotoba-tachi..._

_[Kotori/Nozomi/Honoka] Kesanai de to kaze no naka de tashikameru mune no atsusa..._

_[Nico] Shinjita mono wo motome... [Hanayo] Chi no hate made yuku hi..._

_[Maki] Tomerarenu iki kata wo... [Nico/Hanayo/Maki] Tsuranuku deshou?_

_[Nico/Hanayo/Maki] Tada hitori watashi wa inori wo sasageru!_

Rin quickly ran to Maki as they switched places, with Rin taking over the piano and Maki moving freely about with her mic.

_Aa mujou kono sekai wa kanashimi ni michiteru..._

_Sore demo ii_ _deaeta koto ga yorokobi na no... sou deshou?_

_[Nico/Hanayo/Maki] Dakara makenaide... Kokoro wo magenaide... Hohoenda anata ni wa wakare no kakugo..._

_[Umi/Rin/Eli] Mattete zutto mattete... Hitomi ga kataru no ne... Omoide no basho de matsu wa itsuka kaeru sono toki made..._

_[Honoka] Donna ashita ga mieru? [Nozomi] Sou ne kibou no ashita... [Kotori] Tomerarenu iki kata de..._

_[Kotori/Nozomi/Honoka] Susumu no deshou? Tada hitori watashi wa yukue wo mimamoru!_

This time, Honoka ran over to Rin and traded places with her, allowing Rin to freely move about with her mic while Honoka played the piano.

_Aa mujou demo sekai wa shiawase wo nozonderu..._

_Datte datte deai no imi wo kanjitai no... aa mujou!_

Originally, the next section of the song featured all of the band members speaking a phrase to the audience. However, the band decided to cut the speaking bits and replace it with a guitar solo by Umi. The heartfelt guitar solo by Umi was backed up by Nico's acoustic guitar and Nozomi's electric guitar. Then, right before it ended, Honoka and Maki traded places at the piano.

 _[Umi] Aa mujou_ _kono sekai wa kanashimi ni michiteru..._

_[Rin] Sore demo ii... [Eli] Deaeta koto ga... [Umi/Rin/Eli] Yorokobi na no... sou deshou?_

_Aa mujou demo sekai wa shiawase wo nozonderu..._

_Datte datte deai no imi wo kanjitai no... aa mujou!_

As the song closed out, Nico put away the acoustic guitar and got ready for the next song, with Umi closing he song out with a riff. Maki then got up from the piano as the band was greeted with a standing ovation. "Thank you! Now, this... This next one is a number from News Of The World, for anyone familiar with it. This cover is called It's Late!" Rin also joined her, indicating the song would be a duet.

Then, Nico began playing the lead guitar on the song, starting off with a few bars of rather quiet riffs before going into a rhythm.

_[Maki] You say you love me... And I hardly know your name... And if I say I love you in the candlelight... There's no one but myself to blame..._

_[Rin] But there's something inside that's turning my mind away... Oh, how I could love you... [Maki/Rin:] If I could let you stay!_

Then, Hanayo, Eli, Nico, Umi, and Nozomi all played their instruments 5 times to the beat of the song, with Hanayo smashing her cymbals those 5 times. Then, the chorus began.

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] It's late! [Maki:] And I'm bleeding deep inside!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] It's late! [Rin:] Is it just my sickly pride?_

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] Too late! [Maki:] Even now the feeling seems to steal away!  
_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] So late! [Rin:] Though I'm crying I can't help but hear you say!_

_[ALL:] It's late, it's late, it's late, but not too late!_

_[Maki:] The way you love me... Is the sweetest love around... But after all this time, the more I'm trying, the more I seem to let you down..._

_[Rin:] Now you tell me you're leaving, and I just can't believe it's true... Oh, you know that I can love you... Though I know I can't be true...  
_

_[Maki/Rin:] Oh you made me love you... Don't tell me that we're through!  
_

Again, 5 notes and cymbal clashes signalled the start of the chorus.

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] It's late! [Maki:] And it's driving me so mad!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] It's late! [Rin:] Yes I know, but don't try to tell me that it's!_

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] Too late! [Maki:] Save our love! You can't turn out the lights!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] So late! [Rin:] I've been wrong but I'll learn to be right!_

_[ALL:] It's late, it's late, it's late, but not too late!_

_[Maki:] I've been so long! [Rin:] You've been so long! [Maki/Rin:] We've been so long... Trying to work it out!_

_[Maki:] I ain't got long! [Rin:] You ain't got long! [ALL:] We gotta know what this life is all about!_

A guitar solo by Nico then followed. As she played, she saw that the audience, though unfamiliar with the rather deep cut from Queen's discography, clearly enjoyed the song. Then, the song shifted in tone as Nozomi joined in the solo.

_[Maki:] Too late! [Rin:] Too late! [Maki/Rin:] Much too late!_

Then, as an experiment, Maki decided to spontaneously sing a note high in the whistle register, surprising everyone on stage. While the original Queen version featured Freddie Mercury doing two high-pitched screams in the song, μ’s decided to leave them out. Rin laughed before saying to her in Japanese away from her mic, "Oh my God... What was that?"

_[Maki:] You're staring at me... With suspicion in your eye... You say what game are you playing? What's this that you're saying? I know that I can't reply..._

_[Rin:] If I take you tonight, is it making my life a lie? Oh you make me wonder..._

_[Rin/Maki:] Did I live my life alright?!_

This time, only 2 notes and cymbal clashes were played to signal the final chorus.

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] It's late! [Maki:] And it's time to set me free!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] It's late! [Rin:] Yes I know, but there's no way it has to be!_

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] Too late! [Maki:] So let the fire take our bodies this night!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] So late! [Rin:] So let the waters take our guilt into the tide!_

_[ALL:] It's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late!_

_[Maki/Rin:] It's all too late..._

Then, the song picked up in intensity for the final time for about half a minute. This time, Rin decided to one-up Maki and sang an even higher note on the whistle register towards the end of the song. Then, a drum fill by Hanayo was followed by a clash of cymbals, ending the 6 and a half minute rocker to thunderous applause.

Rin bowed with the rest of the band and said, "This next one is a treat. This is an even deeper cut that features some grade-A guitar work. This is called Brighton Rock!" The song, which primarily featured Rin but also featured Honoka on lead vocals with lower notes, then started with Nozomi on lead guitar playing a hard riff that led into Hanayo on the drums.

_Happy little day! Jimmy went away! Met his little Jenny on a public holiday!_

_A happy pair they made! So decorously laid! 'Neath the gay illuminations all along the promenade!_

_It's so good to know there's still a little magic in the air! I'll weave my spell!_

Then, Honoka took the role of "Jimmy," and Rin took the role of "Jenny" in the song.

[Hon:] "Jenny will you stay? Tarry with me pray! Nothing 'ere need come between us! Tell me love, what  
do you say?!"

_[Rin:] "Oh no I must away to my Mum in disarray if my mother should discover how I spent my holiday!"_

_[Hon/Rin:] It would be of small avail to talk of magic in the air! I'll say farewell!_

_[ALL:] O Rock of Ages, do not crumble, love is breathing still!_

_[ALL:] O Lady Moon, shine down a little people magic if you will!_

Then, Nozomi took the front stage as the song turned into a long guitar solo, with Umi and Nico backing her up. Then, the tempo of the song changed as the main part of the guitar solo began. Soon, the only instruments being played on stage were the guitars of Nozomi, Umi, and Nico. Then, the solo turned into a mock battle for dominance of all three guitars as the solo got heavier and heavier and the spotlights focused on all three of them.

The rest of the band retreated backstage for the duration of the solo to take bathroom and water breaks. Backstage, Riko and Maki took two selfies together, the first showing them giving peace signs to the camera, and the second showing the two girls kissing. Rin said to Takao as she drank some water, "I still can't believe I hit that whistle note live..."

"I'm impressed," Takao replied. "God knows I can't sing that high." They both then laughed. Meanwhile, Honoka and Kotori had a picture of them taken by Eli.

Then, after a 10-minute guitar solo, the band reemerged on stage to thunderous applause as Hanayo went into overdrive on the drums.

_[Rin:] Jenny pines away, writes a letter everyday! "We must ever be together! Nothing can my love erase!"_

_[Hon:] "Oh no I'm compromised! I must apologize, if my lady should discover how I spent my holidays!"_

_[Rin/Hon:] Oooooh... Oooooh..._

Then, the song ended with an uptempo riff by Nozomi as Rin and Honoka danced on stage. Then, the song closed out to thunderous applause. Nozomi said on her mic, "Arigatou! Arigatou! You're all wonderful! Now, the next song on our list is a softer one. It was written by a subgroup of μ’s known as Lily White. This is called Your Autumn Sky Is Distant, or Aki no Anata no Sora Tooku!" Nozomi then began playing the intro of the song as Nico and Umi played acoustic guitars to back her up. Then, Nozomi, Rin, and Umi all got ready.

_[Rin]: Doushite toori kaze shimiru no deshou... Doushite yuuyake ga setsunai no deshou..._

_[Nozomi]: Aki iro konoha ni wa watashi no koi ga... Chiru youna yokan ga aru kara...  
_

_[Umi]: Watashi no koe wa todokimasu ka? Toikaketa sora de uranau ai no meikyuu!  
_

_[Umi]: Suki nara! [Rin/Nozomi]: Suki nara! [Umi]: Suki dato! [Rin/Nozomi]: Suki dato!_

_[ALL]: Dakishimete kudasai... Hakkiri shiritai anata no honshin!  
_

Kotori had used the organ function on her keyboard as a backing track for the song, while Maki also played the piano.

_[Nozomi]: Sou desu mizugi ato kienai no desu... Sou desu sandaru ga shimaenai no desu..._

_[Umi]: Natsuiro omoide ga watashi no koi ne... Futari no kisetsu yo mou ichido..._

_[Rin]: Watashi wa ima mo aitai yamai... Atsui kokoro ga kurushii ai no meikyuu!  
_

_[Rin]: Dame demo! [Umi/Nozomi]: Dame demo! [Rin]: Dame janai! [Rin/Nozomi]: Dame janai!_

_[ALL]: Mata hajimemashou... Yappari anata ga watashi no unmei!_

Again, a few lines of spoken word were cut from the song in favor of a bigger focus on an acoustic guitar solo by Nico, who stood beside Nozomi. As the two played, Nico smiled as she looked into the crowd, who clearly enjoyed the slower and softer song, even after the heaviness of Brighton Rock.

_[Rin/Umi/Nozomi]: Watashi no koe wa todokimasu ka? Watashi wa ima mo aitai sugu ni aitai!_

_[Nozomi]: Suki nara! [Rin]: Suki nara! [Nozomi]: Suki dato! [Umi]: Suki dato!_

_[ALL]: Dakishimete kudasai... Hakkiri shiritai anata no honshin!_

_[Umi]: Dame demo! [Rin]: Dame demo! [Umi]: Dame janai! [Nozomi]: Dame janai!_

_[ALL]: Mata hajimemashou... [Umi]: Yappari anata ga! [ALL]: Watashi no unmei!_

Then, the song ended, and the crowd applauded the band. Umi said on her microphone, "Thank you! You're all wonderful, all of you!"

* * *

 

Later that night, Maki and Riko walked throughout Washington D.C. together. At around midnight, the two stopped at the World War 2 and began taking pictures of it with their phones. Maki said to Riko, "They have 56 pillars, one for each state and territory in the U.S. from what I recall. It's crazy that every single one lost soldiers."

"I know," Riko replied. "My great-grandfather was a veteran of the Imperial Japanese Army, though he was reluctant to do it. He died when I was 7. He did not like to talk about it at all. I did some research on his unit, and I found out why."

Maki replied to her, "Both of my great-grandfather were in the Navy back then. They both saw action in the Philippines and happened to be on the same ship, the Musashi, when it sank. They ended up getting captured in the Philippines a few months later. They were the only two people in the small group of around 50 soldiers and sailors that surrendered. The rest either killed themselves or were killed fighting either the Americans or Filipino rebels. So, what happened to your great-grandfather?"

"Apparently," Riko replied, reluctant to divulge the information. "My great-grandfather may have been forced to execute civilians and prisoners of war in Okinawa when the Allies landed there. There were about 15 American pilots and airmen who were held there. His unit killed all 15, as well as 155 civilians who refused to be conscripted into the island's defense. He was later captured by American Marines in a foxhole, whimpering and crying. He had nightmares about what his unit had done on the island for years afterwards."

"Oh my God," Maki replied, horrified. "That's awful. And yet people have the right to deny what our country did under fascist rule? Riko, that is why I wrote Uyoku Dantai 2020 on our album."

"I completely agree," Riko replied as she turned to Maki. "Yeah, some people are getting mad at you for writing that song, but if they are, good. They should be mad. I hate their stupid little vans that drive around blaring their borderline neo-Nazi views and their constant heckling at foreign embassies in Tokyo."

* * *

 

_May 9, 2020_

Before the second show at Ford's Theatre, a local Top 40 radio station in Washington D.C. interviewed all 9 members of μ’s and all 9 members of Aqours individually. When it came to do Maki's interview, the song Uyoku Dantai 2020 would become a talking point.

As the host chuckled at an earlier response Maki gave, he asked, "So, I don't mean to get all controversial, but I've read that one of the songs on your new album is called... Uhhh... How do you pronounce it?"

"Uyoku Dantai 2020," Maki replied, pointing it out to him.

"Ah, yes, Uyoku Dantai 2020." The host then continued. "Now, I've read that that particular song has attracted controversy in Japan due to the fact that it calls out certain conservative political groups over there. Can you explain to us the full issue, Miss Nishikino?"

"You see," Maki began. "In World War 2, the old Japan did some very bad things. Unit 731 was where we did medical experiments on Chinese prisoners. We treated prisoners of war horribly. We waged war for aggression and for resources. We kidnapped Korean and Chinese women for use as sex slaves. And, of course, the Rape of Nanking and the colonization of Korea happened. Now, Nazi Germany also did some very bad things in World War 2, such as the Holocaust, waging aggressive war, and killing gay people and handicapped people and communists and a whole bunch of other people who did not fit their narrative. However, they have completely acknowledged the fact that that happened, and in fact, it is illegal to say "the Holocaust didn't happen" in Germany. However, in Japan, our government has not been as... Uhh... Acknowledging of its past. In fact, there are various far-right groups that try to push for revisionist history books and for denial of our crimes against humanity. They are called Uyoku Dantai in Japanese. They unfortunately have held political sway at times. There have been times where local governments try to whitewash World War 2 in history textbooks. Needless to say, this is why anti-Japanese sentiment is high in Korea and China, especially amongst older people, as opposed to anti-German sentiment being almost nonexistent in Europe and Israel. In fact, Germany and Israel are actually close allies. Germany has even built submarines for the Israeli Navy."

"Wow," the host replied. "That is awful. I mean, we do have some issues on America's end, but I don't think they've ever gotten to the level you just described, Maki."

"I agree," Maki replied. "A lot of Uyoku Dantai groups are mad at us for going political, and even some fans are upset. Well, all I have to say to them is that you don't have to listen to us. We will make whatever the hell we want. We don't care about some neo-Nazis getting upset at a song that calls them out. If we want to get political, we will. I mean, one of our own got arrested in Russia for being at a pro-LGBT protest while she went to college there. I am proud to say that two of us in μ’s are indeed LGBT. Me and Nozomi are both bisexual. Due to the current political climate of the world, our mere existence is political. It shouldn't be, but that's just the way it is."

"You've certainly brought some very interesting commentary to the table," the host replied as he shuffled some paper around. "I must say, I would not be surprised if this interview goes down in history or something."

Maki laughed and replied, "It probably will. We'll probably get bad press or something, but who cares? We have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of fans around the world who will stick with us despite, or maybe even because of, our views on certain topics or who we are and whatnot. At this rate, with our success around the world and in our homeland of Japan, there is almost no such thing as bad publicity. We'd have to become neo-Nazis if we wanted to kill our careers at this point."


	6. Chapter 6: Youth's Rhapsody

_**March 28, 2017** _

"So," Chika said to a saddened You as they met at her house in her bedroom. "You broke up with him?"

"Yeah," You replied. "We were seeing each other less and less and less, and he's going away to Tokyo for college now that he graduated." She then sighed. "This whole thing sucks, Chika-chan. He's the first person I actually liked beyond being a friend, and, you know, the whole "I had sex for the first time" thing with him."

Chika hated seeing her best friend bummed out. "You-chan, you still have me, at least. Hachiro-kun may be gone, but I'm not going anywhere." She then smiled. "Hey, you may find someone new one day. Just because we go to an all-girl's school doesn't mean there aren't other options for boys. After all, Hachiro came from the only other high school in town."

"I guess you're right," You replied as she began to smile again. "Eh, whatever. Time to focus on my second year, anyways. I'm not gonna go looking for a relationship, but if an opportunity comes my way, I'll consider going for it."

"You'll have better luck than me," Chika replied before laughing. "I've been stuck in single land since forever, so you're a step ahead of me. No, scratch that, you're _miles_ ahead of me, You-chan." They both then laughed.

* * *

  _ **December 24, 2017**_

"That was an awesome concert," Mari said after Aqours performed at a Christmas event in downtown Numazu City to a crowd of 1,200 while debriefing backstage. While they had wowed crowds already that were many times larger, it still felt good to go back to your roots. "Girls, I think that last song we did was our best."

"I gotta agree," Riko replied, "And I'm the one that composed it." She then looked out into the sky. "Damn, it's still snowing. I'm surprised none of us slipped up."

"I almost did," Dia and Kanan both said at the same time before looking at each other. Dia then said, "During the encore performance of Aozora Jumping Heart, I almost slid into Mari."

"I almost tripped onto Yoshiko-chan," Kanan replied. "Thank God none of us did that."

"Of course," Yoshiko said in response. "I'm sure the luck spell I cast before the concert is why none of that happened." She then laughed. She had mostly gotten over people calling her by either Yoshiko or Yohane, and didn't mind either of them.

As You and Riko talked, You noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Riko asked, "Hmm? What's up, You-chan?"

You's eyes widened and a wide grin grew on her face as she said, "Hachiro-kun!" She than ran towards a slightly older young man and crashed into him, hugging him tightly as he returned the hug.

Chika noticed this. Riko asked her, "What's going on? Who is that?" The rest of the band looked on in confusion.

"His name is Akiyama Hachiro," Chika said. "I don't think I ever mentioned this to any of you, but in You's first year of high school, she dated him while he was a third-year at the regular high school in town. They broke up due to conflicting schedules and the fact that he's going to college in Tokyo."

Hachiro was a normal-looking young man, about 19 years old, 5'8", and had been in town on break from college. After You had embraced him, he said, "It's been a long time, Watanabe You."

"It really has," You said as she smiled and a tear fell from her eye. "It's been too long."

* * *

  _ **December 27, 2017**_

"Damn," Hachiro said as he got dressed in his old bedroom at his parents' house as You sat on his bed. During his duration in Numazu, he would either stay at his parents' house or a friend's house. "We haven't had that much fun in months." He then threw away something in a trash bin.

"I know," You replied as she put her underwear and then clothes back on. "But... We can't tell anyone else about this."

Hachiro, confused, asked the light-grey-haired girl, "What's wrong?"

"Idols aren't technically supposed to be dating, much less fucking," You replied. "While Aqours isn't bound by any contracts since we're a school idol group, I fear it would cause some backlash."

"So, you're saying we can't do this anymore?" Hachiro looked saddened by the possibility.

"No, not at all." You quickly turned to him and held his hands. "I want to be with you again, Hachiro-kun, but we'll need to be secret."

Hachiro thought to himself for a moment, and then said, "We'll make it work. Trust me." He and You then kissed. "I need you just as much as you need me, You."

You then smiled and said, "Say, how's your friend Hisaya doing?"

"Oh, him?" He then began chuckling to himself. "He's still trying, mostly without success, to get with girls in college just as much as he did in high school, though he did finally have sex. Granted, it was a one-night stand, but hey, it's sex."

You laughed and said, "Oh, man. He finally had some success... Wow..."

* * *

_**January 2, 2018** _

"No way!" The cry of Dia and Ruby at the same time interrupted a band meeting. "This is big news!"

Chika immediately looked up and asked, "What happened?"

"You'll never guess what just dropped on the official µ's YouTube account," Dia excitedly said as she showed the whole group a video that had been posted. "They're back."

Chika's eyes widened as she said, "Oh my God... µ's is back together?!"

Mari cheered in English, "Oh my God!" She then reverted back to Japanese, saying, "How long ago was that posted?!"

"About 10 minutes ago," Ruby replied. "This isn't a joke."

"Play it," Riko replied. "We wanna see."

"You got it," Dia said as the whole group gathered around her phone as she pressed play on a video simply titled, "Big News from µ's!"

The video opened with the entirety of the band saying, "Greetings and welcome to our big announcement!" Honoka then said to the camera, "Back in 2013, we broke up because it simply would have been too hard to try to work together with three of our members out of high school. However, now, it's 2018, and we all decided to give µ's another chance."

The video then switched to a segment of new song the band had recorded in December titled, "The Return of the Champions," complete with a still shot of its cover and text reading, "The Return of the Champions, coming on February 1, 2018."

Then, it switched back to the band, with Honoka saying, "We'll be releasing several compilation albums of all of our high school era songs remastered and in higher quality than ever before on March 15 of this year, including songs by our subunits as well as solo songs, and in August, we'll be hosting a tour of Japan to promote a brand new album of songs to be released on July 30 of this year. The schedule for the tour is on our website in the description below. The song you just heard will be the first single of 5 from that new album."

Then, finally, the whole band said, "We can't wait to see you again!" Then, the video cut to info on the return of the band as well as the band itself.

Ruby and Dia said together, "This! Is! Amazing!"

Dia said to her sister, "We'll get to see µ's in concert!"

Ruby replied, "I know!"

Chika said, "We all will... This is amazing... Our inspiration is back..."

* * *

  _ **January 7, 2018**_

"So," said You as she dressed herself in her bedroom while talking to Hachiro. "This is goodbye, again?"

"Not at all," Hachiro replied before he gave the girl a quick kiss. "I will be back soon enough, You-chan. I promise."

"I hope so," You replied as tears began to stream from her face. She then hugged the young man before her as she said, "I don't want to lose you again... I love you... I really do love you..."

Hachiro petted the girl's hair as he replied, "I know... I do, too." He began to get emotional himself. "Every time I'm not with you, I feel like part of me is missing."

"I feel the same," You stammered out as she cried. She then sighed and said, "I really do act before I think, eh?"

Then, a knock on the door came out of nowhere, followed by Chika asking, "You-chan, are you there?"

You froze. Then, she said, "Uhhh... Yeah, I'll be out in a minute..."

Suddenly, a slamming sound was heard as Chika fell through the doorframe as it opened. She said, "Ouch... I tripped on something as I was backing away..." Then, she looked up and saw them. "You-chan and Hachiro-kun... You, why are you wearing only a bra and your pants, and why is your ex-boyfriend here?" Then, it hit Chika. "Oh..."

You stammered out as she helped Chika up, "It... It's not... Agh, screw it, it is exactly what it looks like..." You the backed away in fear. "Uhhh... Chika-chan... Me and Hachiro-kun were..."

Chika asked, "Why didn't you tell me this, You-chan? You tell me almost everything." She was shocked.

Hachiro said to Chika, "You was afraid that if she told anyone, it would hurt Aqours."

Chika, surprised, asked You, "Is... Is that true?" You nodded before she began crying.

"I... I feared that we'd lose fans if people found out about me and Hachiro," You said, tears again streaming down her face. "Those feelings we had for each other never went away, Chika-chan, but... I'm an idol... No one can know... This all is the reason why I ran late several times, because I was having sex with Hachiro-kun...

Chika then delivered an armor-piercing slap across You's face with her right hand as tears formed in her eyes. The slap startled even Hachiro himself. Chika clearly did not want to deliver the slap, but felt that she had to. "You-chan... I don't give a **shit** if some of our fans get mad. _**Boo. Fucking. Hoo.**_ We have feelings, too. We aren't robots. We're human. Falling in love is human nature. If I wanted to date someone, I would, Aqours be damned, and I know nobody else in the band would get mad." She then paused. "But, that isn't the reason I slapped you. I slapped you because you fucking **lied** to me—no, you lied to **us** —over some bullshit fear. Listen, we're called  **school**  idols for a reason. We aren't bound by some stupid contract that tries to stop us from dating, and if we decide to continue with Aqours beyond Uranohoshi, I will do _**EVERYTHING**_ in my power to make sure our contract leaves that stupid part out."

You said to Chika, "I... I'm so sorry, Chika-chan..." She then fell to her knees and sobbed. "I can't help but fall in love again with Hachiro, but I should have at least told you..."

Chika then bent down on one knee and said to You as she held her head up, "I... I accept..." She then hugged You.

Hachiro then said, "I'm so sorry this all came to this, You-chan." He clearly felt guilty about putting his girlfriend through this.

"It's not your fault," You replied before she got up and kissed him. After they split, You said, "I can't wait to see you again in March."

* * *

  _ **September 7, 2018**_

After a µ's concert in Shizuoka that the entirety of Aqours had attended, the band was called to backstage to meet with µ's. Before they entered, the members of µ's mulled about, wondering what to expect. Honoka said to Kotori in a dressing room, "I can't wait to meet these girls from Numazu. I saw them live in Tokyo twice and I was floored each time."

Kotori asked her, "They're beginning to go professional now, right?" She then drank a bottle of water.

"Yeah," Honoka replied. "Three of their members graduated, and over the summer, Aqours recorded all of their songs in a studio thanks to the help of one of the members' dad or something. I think it was Mari's dad. Their first album of 15 songs just came out on the 1st, and it's doing very well. I can't remember what record label they're with, though."

Then, Nozomi came in and said, "They're here, guys." Honoka and Kotori then left the dressing room.

As soon as Honoka left, she and Chika walked up to each other and bowed before shaking hands. Chika said to Honoka, "It's such an honor to meet you." She was clearly holding back her excitement to remain professional.

"I can tell," Honoka replied. She then peered behind Chika and saw Ruby and Dia staring intently. "I assume you two are Kurosawa Dia and Kurosawa Ruby?"

They both stammered, "Yes, we are, Kousaka-san." They both then bowed.

"You two have been fans for a while, right?" Honoka began conversing with them as both bands began mingling. "Just call me by my first name. It's fine. Same goes for the rest of µ's. After all, in my opinion, we're equals."

Dia said to Honoka, honored by her approval, "Thank you, Honoka. Those words mean a lot for all of us."

Chika nodded and said, "I never thought I'd hear the leader of µ's think of us as equals. That's amazing." She smiled and presented Honoka a physical copy of Aqours' first album, titled _Aqours I_. "This is the **very** first copy of our new album that we released on the 1st. No one in µ's would mind signing it for us, right?"

"Of course not," Honoka replied as she grabbed a marker and wrote on the album, "µ's is honored to have inspired such an amazing group like Aqours." She then signed it with her name. She then turned to the whole group and said, "All of µ's, come on over and sign this! Try to find room, since I wrote a little something for Aqours, too."

Mari said to Kanan, "To think, we've come this far." She then laughed. "And we're gonna go even further."

"You're telling me," Kanan replied. "Wasn't our album at like #8 on the charts last time we checked?"

Then, suddenly, Yoshiko yelled out, "No way!  _Aqours I_ is at #2 on the charts! The only thing keeping it from being #1 is µ's' album!" She then showed the Oricon Album Charts webpage on her phone to both Aqours and µ's. "This is incredible! This goes beyond even the expectations of a fallen angel like myself!"

Chika jumped in the air and cheered, saying, "We did it, girls!"

Hanamaru said to Rin as both bands cheered, "I think I know how you felt when your band's album hit #1-zura."

"Yeah," Rin replied as she nodded. "I'd say so. We all were certainly jumping for joy when that happened. I gave your album a full listen-through, and I think that it would easily be #1 if it weren't for us. Say, when is  _Aqours II_ gonna get released?"

"I think around November 1," Hanamaru replied. " _"Aqours III_ will get released on January 1, and  _Aqours IV_ will get released on February 1. Once all of those are released, all of our high-school era content will be released, and we'll focus on brand new material. It's a bit hard sometimes, though, since 6 of us are still in high school-zura. We're not taking a break like you guys did."

* * *

_**September 10, 2018** _

"And you didn't tell us this sooner because...," Kanan said as she, Mari, and Dia met at Dia's house for a serious discussion involving Mari.

"I was afraid of how you all would react," Mari replied, clearly stressed out and frazzled. "Plus, I figured that you'd both get mad that I kept the fact that I also like other girls hidden from anyone in Aqours, much less you two."

Dia reassuringly told Mari, "Mari-chan, read my lips. We. Don't. Care. Nobody else in Aqours cares either. Stop hiding your sexuality from us, please." She hated seeing Mari so torn up over something that she felt was not a big deal.

Kanan replied, "Dia's right, Mari-chan. Look, both of us speculated that you liked other girls that way for a while, actually. Hell, we think you may not be the only one in Aqours."

Mari, confused, asked, "Wait, what?"

"I have few doubts Riko-chan is into girls, too," Kanan said. "Don't you remember all that yuri manga she bought in Tokyo? Granted, I also saw her buy some yaoi, too, but I don't think she'd be buying yuri if she wasn't into other girls."

Mari nodded and said, "True. However, it probably would be best if we wait for her to come out on my own."

"Agreed," Dia and Kanan both said.

Then, Dia said, "Now, we should probably tell the rest of the group soon about you, Mari."


	7. Chapter 7

_November 25, 2019_

"Oh boy," said Honoka as the band met up in the recording studio. "You added ANOTHER section to that song, Maki-chan?"

"Indeed I did," Maki replied as she showed the band a series of multi-page notes hastily scribbled together. "I decided we needed a vocal delay section."

"A vocal what-now?" Nico was in disbelief. "How many sections of this song of yours do you have, Maki?"

"I counted a beginning drum and guitar section," Maki said as she began to enthusiastically explain the song she wrote. "A regular vocal section with me, Nozomi, and Rin singing different lines in that order followed by a line by all 9 of us, an intense drum fill, a choir-like section of all 9 of us, followed by a guitar solo..." As she spoke, she showed the band the heavily-written-on sheet music paper where she wrote out the notes for each instrument and all of the vocals. "Which is followed by a change in tempo from 143 BPM to 175 BPM and a drum solo which cues into another set of verses, this time with 4. It's me, Nozomi, and Rin again, then the fourth verse is the three of us together, followed by a crash of cymbals which slows the song down to 75 BPM for the vocal delay section, which is all me with the exception of the last two lines, which are all 9 of us. Then, the song uses a drum fill to speed up to 143 BPM for another guitar solo, which is followed by the final section, which is a hard rock section that closes with a scare chord."

The rest of the group, dumbfounded at the complexity of the song, stayed silent in amazement. Nico then asked, "How long is this, Maki-chan?"

"I think around 8 minutes," Maki replied, stunning the entire group.

"Oh my God," Rin said. "8 whole minutes?! No way!"

"Well, I think it'll be a nice test of all of our abilities," Eli said to the group as a whole. "What language is the song in?"

"Entirely in Japanese," Maki replied. "Now, you're gonna think I'm even more insane, but I think we should release it as a single once it's done." Again, she floored the group.

"An 8-minute single? There's no way they'll air that on the radio without cutting it!" Nico was flabbergasted.

Kotori asked her, "So, when do we start this song?"

"We can start right now," Maki replied. "I've had the piano part of the song memorized in my head for a while."

* * *

 "Alright," said Honoka, overseeing recording of the piano track of the song. "Take 1 of Maki's Thing is ready to go."

Maki then said, "One... Two... One, two, three, four." She then began playing the piano to a 143 BPM click track in her headphones. As she methodically went along, Umi was intrigued at Maki's almost-flawless rendition of the piano track as written in the notes.

Umi said to Honoka, "She really did have it all memorized."

Then, suddenly, Maki hit the wrong keys and produced a screwed-up chord, causing her to stop and yell, "Fuck!" She then sighed and said, "Let's do Take 2 then."

Honoka stopped the click track and began a new recording, saying, "Okay, this is Take 2 of Maki's Thing."

"One... Two... One, two, three, four." Maki then began again. This time, she played for the full duration of the song without stopping or making any mistakes.

As she continued to hammer away at the keys, the whole band watched in amazement as she managed to change tempo without stopping. Hanayo said, "Nishikino-san just changed tempo, right? Did she?"

"Holy shit," Nico replied. "She did, and without stopping to boot."

Then, the song reached its end, and Maki produced a scare chord on the piano. She looked up from her piano and looked at a clock in the recording booth before saying with dread, "Oh fuck, it is over 8 and a half minutes."

* * *

 "Damn it," said Nozomi as she screwed a chord up during a guitar take for the song. "Maki-chan, this guitar solo for me is a bit hard."

"Don't worry," Maki replied from outside the booth. "Keep trying. We got all day and all night." She then thought to herself,  _"Once we get the instruments done, it's off to the vocals."_

"Alright," Nozomi said to herself as another take began. "Here we go." Once her cue came on, she began playing. This time, something felt different.  _"That's odd,"_ she thought to herself as she breezed past the same chord she had messed up on in the previous take.  _"It feels so much easier this time."_

Then, she finished out the guitar solo, which happened to be the first one in the song. Maki said to her, "That was perfect!"

"I know," Nozomi replied, triumphant. She raised her fist in the air and said, "Alright! I guess the 5th take is the charm!"

* * *

  _January 6, 2020_

"Well," said Tsubasa Kira, the leader of A-RISE, another former school idol group that was beginning to make a tone shift in much the same manner as µ's at the time, after giving the finished Warning From The Heavens a listen-through with headphones while meeting with Honoka and Maki. "I... I'm floored by it." She was clearly in awe over the song.

Honoka replied to her, "I could tell by your face."

"However," Tsubasa said to her. "You're never gonna get this played on the radio on either side of the Pacific. It's way too long."

Maki said to Tsubasa confidently, "We will find a way, Tsubasa-chan."

Tsubasa chuckled and replied to them, "I'm sure you will once you cut it down."

"We won't have to," Maki defiantly replied. "I swear."

* * *

  _February 22, 2020_

"Hello, folks," addressed popular Japanese radio host Sarah Kazuno, who also was the leader of Aqours' former "rival group," Saint Snow. "Once more!" Then, she played a clip of a choir repeating the same line. "J-Wave FM broadcasting has told the NHK to basically kick rocks and has gotten itself another exclusive new piece of content for you all."

Meanwhile, a studio executive watching Sarah broadcast said to another, "She's crazy for doing this."

"Yes, friends," Sarah began. "Nishikino Maki of the ever-wonderful µ's gave me this little song. It hasn't even been pressed onto CDs yet. This is actually a physical tape. Yeah, I know, it's pretty outdated. Anyways, she pressed it into my hands this morning and told me the following: "Go forth and show the critics who think this isn't radio-friendly wrong." Well, I'm about to prove it to those critics. Anyways, for the FIRST time ever on Planet Earth, this, my friends, is the newest masterpiece by µ's. It is simply called... Warning From The Heavens." She then pressed play.

**(A/N: The following is not an exact translation of the song into English, though the meaning is the same. Some words were changed to keep the flow of the song.)**

The song began with a smashing of cymbals and the cry of three guitars, followed by one of the guitars playing a riff. Then, the vocals began and a loud, foreboding piano began playing.

_[Maki]: On this day, the people of the Earth looked into the sky and saw a message from the angels!_

_[Rin:] They said, "This world's beyond our saving! Morality is caving! To let it stay would be painful!"_

_[Nozomi:] The angels pointed to man who they said would lead the righteous, as he was an example..._

_[Maki/Rin/Nozomi:] An example of, a man who feared the Heavens! He had only one request and he demanded it be done!_

_[ALL:] He requested that his family go with him in his quest to lead the righteous!_

The riff continued for a few more bars before an intense drum fill by Hanayo queued in the next section of the song. Now, the guitars stopped, and only a piano remained playing as all 9 members of the band joined in as a choir.

_[ALL:] Death! All! Around!_

_[ALL:] The waters purge the Earth of the unredeemable! (Unredeemable! Unredeemable! Unredeemable!)_

_[ALL:] Now the time has come! Now the time has come!_

Now, even the piano stopped after a smashing of cymbals, leaving only the 9 members of the band and their voices.

_[ALL:] No more shall the evil inherit this planet! (This planet! This planet! This planet!)_

_[ALL:] The warning from the heavens has come forth! Come forth! Come forth! Come foooooorth!_

Once the choir section ended, Nozomi shifted into overdrive on the guitar, playing a solo that lasted for almost a whole minute. The solo was dark and foreboding, as if a storm was really in the background. This was helped by synths from Kotori that added to the atmosphere, as well as cracks of thunder and lightning.

Then, the guitar suddenly stopped, and Hanayo began a drum solo as the song sped up in tempo. As she played away, all pistons firing, she concentrated heavily on the snare and tom-toms to produce a filling and loud sound on the record, which would occasionally be broken by the cymbals of her drum set. Then, she focused on the hi-hat, playing a rhythm as the other instruments entered back into the fray.

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as the sinful people of the Earth were washed away!_

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as the angels' warning from the heavens came too late!_

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as God cast his judgement on the sinful below!  
_

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come,"_ _said the righteous man, as they were swept away at a distance just a stone's-throw!_

_[Rin:] We can hear the people shout! We can hear the people scream! Yet we cannot do a thing! Yet we cannot do a thing!_

_[Rin:] They brought it on themselves! They brought it on themselves! The people of the Earth! The people of the Earth!_

_[Nozomi:] This melody of destruction guarantees, that once these sinners cease to be!_

_[Nozomi:] Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth! Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth!_

_[Maki/Rin/Nozomi:]_ _Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth! Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth!_

 _[ALL:]_ _Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth! Peace all around will be brought back to the Eaaaaaaarth!_

Then, another clash of cymbals by Hanayo on the record queued up another tempo change, this time to 75 BPM. No instruments were present, except for Maki's voice, which had a delay-echo effect added.

_[Maki:] Aaaaah... (Aaaaah... Aaaaah... Aaaaah...)_

_[Maki:] Woah woah woah woaaaaah! (Woah woah woah woaaaaah! Woah woah woah woaaaaah! Woah woah woah woaaaaah!)_

_[Maki:] Can't they listen to the words of the heavens? (Can't they listen to the words of the heavens? Can't they listen to the words of the heavens? Can't they listen to the words of the heavens?)_

_[Maki:] As the cracks in their facade begin to widen... (As the cracks in their facade begin to widen... As the cracks in their facade begin to widen... As the cracks in their facade begin to widen...)_

_[Maki:] Their true nature is revealed! (Their true nature is revealed! Their true nature is revealed! Their true nature is revealed!)_

_[Maki:] They should have listened... (They should have listened... They should have listened... They should have listened...)_

_[Maki:] To the warning from the heavens! (To the warning from the heavens! To the warning from the heavens! To the warning from the heavens!)_

_[ALL:] Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! (Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah!)_

_[ALL:] May God grant us strength! (May God grant us strength! May God grant us strength! May God grant us strength! May God grant us strength!)_

Then, as the last line ended, a drum fill from Hanayo saw the song speed back up to 143 BPM as a long-winded guitar solo by Nico began. The solo saw her play for a full minute and a half and go in practically every extreme in terms of notes and octaves, playing both the lowest and highest notes possible in her solo. Then, Rin began singing.

_[Rin:] Now the flood has passed, and the righteous have the Earth! No longer shall war and hate poison minds! The angels and their God are satisfied!_

_[Nozomi:] The perfect world is upon us! The land is clean and free! So are the water of the seas! The blight of the seven sins has ceased to be!_

Then, Umi ended the hard rock section with a riff that had a delay-echo effect applied to it. Once the last of the guitar was heard and faded out, the song became quiet as Maki sang the last line alone.

_[Maki:] Oh, the land is pure... Oh, the people are free... The heavens are satisfied... The heavens are satisfied!_

Finally, Nozomi started up the guitars again, this time quieter than before as she played a repetitive riff for about half a minute. Then, suddenly, a sudden loud note and clash of cymbals ended the song with a scare chord that made even Sarah jump in her studio.

After the song ended, Sarah brushed herself off and said, "Excuse me while I... While I scrape myself off the ceiling after hearing that. Oh my God... That was Warning From The Heavens by µ's. My, my, haven't they come a long way since 2012, folks?"

* * *

  _February 23, 2020_

"I still can't believe it," Maki said to Nico as the two hung out at the latter's house after a rehearsal for the upcoming Shove It Tour. "She played that song 6 times in a single night from like 3 to midnight. That's like 50 minutes of that song. She's still playing it today, too."

Both were in disbelief over Sarah Kazuno's liking of the song. Nico said, "Well, I guess Tsubasa-chan was wrong. That song is radio friendly."

Then, they were both interrupted by a phone call on Maki's phone. "Hello?"

"Hey," Sarah said to Maki. "Did you hear? Your fans are clamoring for a single that doesn't exist yet."

Maki's jaw dropped. "They want that to be a single?!"

"Yep," Sarah replied. "You are releasing it as one soon, right?"

"I wanted to," Maki replied. "But the band was reluctant. Now that that's happening, though, we probably will soon." She then paused. "Say, Sarah, are you on the air right now?"

"Yeah," Sarah replied as both she and Maki laughed. "You're on the air, too."

"Hi there!" Maki then chuckled. "I heard you all really love that song Sarah here keeps playing! Well, don't worry! You'll hear it a lot more very soon! Well, I gotta go, Sarah. Bye." She then hung up.

Nico said to her, "Was she-?"

"Yeah," Maki replied. "We need to tell the rest of the band, now."


	8. Rock Isn't Dead

_June 1, 2020_

"So, in recent news," said local classic rock radio personality James Martinson on San Francisco's 107.1 SanFranRock. He was reading out the headlines of the day, including music and local news. "Japanese idol group-turned rock band µ's, as well as their opening act Aqours, are gonna be playing three nights at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco. Now, this group, I find interesting. It started when the band was in high school around 8 years ago, right? In Japan, they have these things called school idol groups that are basically more advanced versions of glee clubs with only girls. These girls work their tail ends off on top of school work, and they have a competition every year or so called Love Live in Tokyo. µ's won it in 2013 and then performed in New York City once before breaking up due to three of the nine members graduating." He then paused to take a drink. "Now, a few years back, µ's reunited and went professional, and they had great success in Japan as a regular idol group. However, their most recent album is a rather dramatic shift in tone and style for them. There are allegations that their old manager had less than friendly relations with the band, hence why the band included covers of Death on Two Legs and the Flick of the Wrist medley which are both wildly successful stateside. Personally, I think Shove It is a wonderful album. It's as if somebody managed to capture the aura of the album-oriented rock of the past, combine it with modern music, and package it in one album."

He then loaded up a video on YouTube of µ's' first night at the Beacon Theatre on his computer to play on the air.

"Live, the band is even better. This video I found was released by the official µ's YouTube channel of a song from their first night at the Beacon Theatre in New York. It's their live cover of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. I've listened to it about 10 times already, and I can't get tired of it at all. Obviously, they didn't play the beginning or the middle of the song live because Queen themselves never did, though I am told that the studio version that will be on a tribute album they'll release soon called A Royal Tribute To Queen will feature the band playing the entire song by themselves, and I can't wait to hear how that sounds." He then pressed play. "I think you'll enjoy this too."

5 and a half minutes later, when the video finished, James said on the air, "And they say 'rock is dead.' How ridiculous."

* * *

  _June 2, 2020_

After finishing Aki no Anata no Sora Tooku on stage, Maki addressed the audience at the Orpheum, saying, "This has been a wonderful first night at the Orpheum in San Francisco. This really is a beautiful city, really." She then cleared her throat as Nico took her guitar off and moved to the piano on stage. "Now, this... This next song is off of the Queen album The Game. It features Nico Yazawa on the piano instead of the guitar." The audience then cheered as Nico bowed before taking a seat. "This is a Brian May composition called Save Me." As the audience cheered, Nico began playing a few notes on the piano to signal the start of the song, which was upped by 1 semitone.

_It started off so well_

_They said we made a perfect pair_

_I clothed_ _myself in your glory and you love_

_How I loved you... How I cried..._

_The years of care and loyalty_

_Were nothing but a sham it seems_

_The years belie we lived a lie  
_

_"I'll love you 'til I die..."_

Then, Hanayo segued the band into the chorus with a few hits of the hi-hat as Nozomi and Umi joined in on the guitar.

_[Hanayo/Maki:] Save me! Save me! Save me!_

_[Maki:] I can't face this life alone!_

_[All:] Save me! Save me! Save me!_

_[Maki:] I'm naked and I'm far from home!_

The song then moved into the second verse, with the whole band playing now.

_The slate will soon be clean,_

_I'll erase the memories,_

_To start again with somebody new,_

_Was it all wasted_

_All that love?_

_I hang my head and I advertise,  
_

_A soul for sale or rent,  
_

_I have no heart, I'm cold inside,  
_

_I have no real intent...  
_

For this chorus, Nico jumped up from the piano and grabbed her electric guitar as Umi switched to an acoustic guitar.

_[Hanayo/Maki:] Save me! Save me! Save me!_

_[Maki:] I can't face this life alone!_

_[All:] Save me! Save me! [Maki:] Ohhhhh!_

_[Maki:] I'm naked and I'm far from home!_

Maki then moved to the piano to play it as Umi played a short acoustic guitar solo and Kotori played some background synths. Nozomi then played a few bars on her guitar as Maki began the last section of the song from her piano.

_Each night I cry. I still believe the lie!_

 

_I'll love you 'till I die!_

Maki then let out a short scream as Nico played a short guitar solo. In the middle of it, Maki let out yet another scream, this time hitting the whistle register and startling the band as a whole. Then, once the solo ended, Maki jumped up from the piano and grabbed her mic stand from a stagehand.

_[Hanayo:] Save me! [Maki:] Yeah! [Hanayo:] Save me! [Maki:] Ohhhhh! Save me!_

_[Maki:] Don't let me face my life alone!_

_[All:] Save me! Save me! [Maki:] Oooooooooooh!_

_[Maki:] I'm naked and I'm far from hoooooooome!_

As the song ended, the crowd cheered the band on loudly, impressed by the cover. Honoka then took the center of the stage as Umi and Kotori joined her, Umi taking her acoustic guitar with her. Honoka then addressed the audience, saying, "How are you all doing tonight so far?!" The crowd replied with a cheer. "Good, good. Now, this next song was from our high school days. It's a song about how the present won't last forever, so it makes you want to treasure everyone, or something along those lines. This is called Sentimental Steps!"

Maki began the song on the piano as Kotori returned to her keyboard and computer to play a ticking clock sound effect for a few bars.

_[All:] Surechigatte mo wakaranai kurai_

_[All:] Otona ni natta toki ni_

_[All:] Natsukashisa e kawaru no kana… nante kangae teta_

Hanayo then led the band in with a soft and short drum fill as Kotori played the keyboard. This song was much less guitar-driven and softer.

_[2Y:] Tsuneni tonari ni irukara_

_[2Y:] Sore ga atarimae sugiru koto_

_[1Y:] Nayan dari warattari no mainichi ga kitto tsudzuiteku_

_[3Y:] Tanoshii to omou ima o hozon shitai kimochi_

_[3Y:] Hajimete kanjitanda yo_

Then, the whole band joined in as Nico and Nozomi began playing a soft rhythm on their guitars as Umi strummed along on the acoustic guitar.

_[All:] Surechigatte mo wakaranai kurai_

_[All:] Kimi mo boku mo otona ni natta koro ga souzou dekinai_

_[All:] Datte zutto issho dakara_

Maki began a piano solo to segue into the next verse as Honoka led the audience into a clap-along of the song. "There you go! You got it!"

_[1Y:] Mienai dake de hontou wa sukoshi zutsu seichou shiterutte_

_[3Y:] Tane o umeta basho kara wa_

_[3Y:] Chiisana happa ga utai dasu_

_[2Y:] Kisetsu ga itsunomanika nuri kaete itta_

_[2Y:] Machi no iro ni kidzuita yo_

Unlike the last chorus, this one had only s short break in between it and the previous verse.

_[All:] Komorebi no naka yonde mita kedo_

_[All:] Kaze ga fui ni kakikesu_

_[All:] Isshun nandaka setsunasa e to keshiki ga yureugoita_

_[3Y:] Ki no seida yo ne itsumo no minna da ne_

_[1Y:] Fuzakete kake ashi korobi souda_

_[2Y:] Matte matte doko ka yotte kaeru?_

The next chorus began only with Honoka as all of the spotlights on stage centered on her, followed by Umi and Kotori as the spotlights moved to them next.

_[Honoka:] Surechigatte mo wakaranai kurai  
_

_[Umi:] Kimi mo boku mo otona ni_

_[Kotori:] Natta koro ga souzou dekinai_

Then, all three of the second-years joined in, followed by the last chorus of the song.

_[2Y:] Datte zutto issho dakara_

_[All:] Komorebi no naka yonde mitakedo_

_[All:] Kaze ga fui ni kakikesu_

_[All:] Isshun nandaka setsunasa e to keshiki ga yureugoita_

_[All:] Keshiki ga yureugoita_

The song then ended with a solitary Maki on the piano as well as the same clock ticking sound effect from Kotori. The original version of the song featured short giggles from all of the members of the band, but it was cut from the live version. Once the song ended, the audience cheered, and the stage went dark as the members of the band rearranged themselves. Kotori grabbed Umi's electric guitar, Umi grabbed Eli's bass guitar, Eli moved to the drums, and Hanayo took Maki's bottomless mic stand as she stood with Rin. Honoka took Kotori's spot at her keyboard and computer.

Eli then began playing a drum beat for a few bars as the lights began to slowly turn back on before Honoka played a few notes on the keyboard. After a few more notes and bars, the audience recognized what the song was and cheered. Then, Honoka played different notes on the keyboard, confirming what the next song would be for the audience. After an introduction that lasted for a minute, Honoka sang into a vocoder microphone, "Radio..." Then, Hanayo began singing Radio Ga Ga, pitched up by two semitones to accommodate her high voice.

_I'd sit alone and watch your lights_

_My only friend through teenage nights_

_And everything I had to know_

_I heard it on my radio..._

_You gave them all those old time stars_

_Through wars of worlds invaded by Mars_

_You made 'em laugh, you made 'em cry_

_You made us feel like we could fly..._

Then, Hanayo and Rin sang together.

_So don't become some background noise_

_A backdrop for the girls and boys_

_Who just don't know or just don't care_

_And just complain when you're not there..._

_You had the time! You had the power!_

_You've yet to have, your finest hour!_

_Radio! [Honoka:] Radio..._

Then, the entire band joined in in singing as the audience began to rhythmically clap to the song in near-perfect unison.

_All we hear is Radio ga ga_

_Radio goo goo_

_Radio ga ga_

_All we hear is Radio ga ga_

_Radio blah blah_

_[Rin:] Radio, what's new?_

_[Hanayo:] R_ _adio, someone still loves you!_

Then, Umi played a a short bass rhythm for a few bars before the second verse began with Rin singing.

_We watch the shows, we watch the stars_

_On videos for hours and hours_

_We hardly need to use our ears_

_How music changes through the years..._

Then, Rin and Hanayo joined in for the next section of the verse, as they did with the last verse.

_Let's hope you never leave old friend_

_Like all good things on you we depend_

_So stick around 'cause we might miss you_

_When we grow tired of all this visual!_

_You had the time! You had the power!_

_You've yet to have, your finest hour!_

_Radio! [Honoka:] Radio..._

As with before, the whole band joined in on the chorus as the audience rhythmically clapped along. Hanayo gleefully took command of the audience, raising her fist to them as she sang.

_All we hear is Radio ga ga_

_Radio goo goo_

_Radio ga ga_

_All we hear is Radio ga ga_

_Radio goo goo_

_Radio ga ga_

_All we hear is Radio ga ga_

_Radio blah blah_

_[Rin:] Radio, what's new?_

_[Hanayo:] Someone still loves you!_

The second chorus was followed by a long bass solo by Umi as the audience clapped along. Once she was sure her voice was out of range on her microphone, Hanayo said to Rin, "I thought I would panic or something the first time I did this back in New York! But I love it!"

"That's the spirit, Kayo-chin!" Rin was happy at Hanayo's success as the frontman for this song. "Now, we got one last chorus! Let's go!"

_You had the time! You had the power!_

_You've yet to have, your finest hour!_

_Radio! [Honoka:] Radio..._

As the song faded out, the audience kept clapping. Once the song ended, Hanayo said to the audience, "Thank you! Thank you! Arigatou gozaimashita!"

* * *

 After the concert, Maki took a stroll with Nozomi, Mari, and Riko through the Castro District late at night. As they walked along the street, Nozomi said to Mari, "So, have you found anyone yet?"

"Surprisingly, no," Mari replied as the gang walked past the Castro Theater. "I've been completely clean this entire tour. No sex, no nothing."

As they rounded a corner, they saw a crowd of young women hanging out outside of what looked like a nightclub. Its front lights were a bright red, and a bouncer stood outside. Maki said, "Wanna go in there?" Hanging from a wall-mounted flagpole was a rainbow flag.

Riko replied to her, "Are you sure? It seems a bit... Crowded?" Riko was a bit shy about going in.

"We'll be fine," Nozomi replied. "C'mon, it'll be fun." She then led the gang to the front door as they read a sign on the door past a bouncer. "Riko and Mari can come in. It's 18 to enter and 21 to drink."

Maki replied, "Good, good." She then walked up to the bouncer at the front door. She said to him in English, "Hi there."

"Welcome," the bouncer said. "You all got IDs?"

As the gang all took out Japanese driver's licenses, Maki replied, "We do, indeed. Now, my girlfriend is only 19 and her friend is only 20. She can still go in, right?"

"As long as she doesn't drink," the bouncer replied as he took their IDs. "I assume you all are lesbians, too?"

"We're all actually bi," Nozomi replied in English. "This must be a lesbian bar?"

"You're sure as hell right about that," the bouncer replied as he handed the IDs back. "In fact, I'm the only male employee here, and the only straight one. My sister works here as a bartender, so she pulled some strings and got me this job after the last bouncer left." He then opened the doors. "You're free to enter. Say, do I recognize you girls from somewhere?"

Mari replied in English, "Probably from Aqours and µ's."

"Oh yeah," the bouncer replied. "You guys rock!"

Maki shouted back, "Thank you!" Then, they entered the bar into the dance area. There, a DJ was playing music and a laser light show from a stage to a crowd of about 200 patrons. The 4 of them could barely hear each other over the loud music. Despite this, they managed to find their way to the bar and found 4 empty bar stools right next to each other. As they sat down, a female bartender came up to them and asked them, "What can I get you ladies to drink?"

"I'll take a glass of Absolut Vodka, please," Maki replied. "My girlfriend Riko will take a coke, since she's still 20 for now, unfortunately."

"That sucks," the bartender replied. "Don't worry, you'll drink soon, if you haven't already in private." Both her and Riko them laughed before she turned to Nozomi and Mari. "Now how about you two?"

"I'll take two cokes," Mari said.

"I'll have a Bacardi and two cokes, please," Nozomi replied.

"You got it," the bartender replied.

As the bartender made their drinks, Maki whispered to Nozomi, "Try putting the moves onto Mari. It wouldn't hurt, eh?"

Nozomi nodded and had a devilish smile on her face. She then turned to Mari and said to her, "So, Mari-chan, what do you look for in people?"

Mari, not expecting such a question, replied as the gang's drinks were laid out, "Uhhh... Well... Looks or personality?"

"Looks," Nozomi replied before she drank some of her drink, followed by Mari doing the same.

"Well," Mari replied. "I do like women with larger chests, if that's what you're asking about. Then again, I know very few straight and bi men and gay and bi women who don't." Mari then asked Nozomi, "Are you trying to do something, Toujou-san?"

"Call me Nozomi," Nozomi replied as she took another drink. "It's easier. And yes, that's what I was asking about."

"I do like women with darker hair," Mari replied, giving Nozomi more answers. "And don't get me started on both men and women who know how to use their hands." Both her and Nozomi then burst out laughing. "I know that isn't a physical trait, but you can't deny that."

Nozomi then patted Mari on the back and told her, "You're a fun girl, Mari-chan. You really are."

* * *

_June 3, 2020_

As the morning sun rose in San Francisco, Mari and Nozomi awoke in the same bed in their hotel, completely nude. As Mari opened her eyes and stretched as she rose from bed, she yawned and turned to Nozomi to wake her up. "Nozomi-chan... It's..." She then yawned again. "It's 8:30 in the morning. We got shit to do today before the concert."

Nozomi grumbled as she arose from sleep as well. As she stretched, she said, "Ugh... Mari-chan, that was incredible last night."

As Mari stepped onto the floor to go to the bathroom, she said, "You're God damn right..." She then entered the bathroom.

"We don't have to meet up until 10:30," Nozomi said to her. "Say, wanna do something before we get dressed, Mari?" She then yawned before she smiled. "C'mon, some more fun in bed would probably wake us up more."

Mari replied from the bathroom, "I guess you're right." After washing her hands, she jumped back into bed, startling Nozomi as the two laughed. "Some fun in the morning never hurt anyone, right?"

Nozomi then made out with Mari as their hands embraced each other's bodies. After they split, Nozomi replied to her, "Nope. It never has." They then both continued to make out in bed as the sun continued to rise that morning.


	9. Berkeley

_**June 6, 2020** _

The Berkeley Community Theater was the fourth-to-last stop for both bands in America before they were to go to Mexico. It was a theater attached to the Berkeley High School, and was often used by the school for classes in addition to being open for concerts. As a sign of gratitude for the school letting µ's and Aqours play there, both bands donated $500,000 each to Berkeley's schools, and students and staff were let in for free. For this concert, Aqours wore their MIRAI TICKET outfits, and µ's wore their Loveless World outfits.

Tonight, though, Maki was not in a good mood.

* * *

 "I wanna address something that has been bothering me for this whole tour," Maki said to the jam-packed crowd of 3,500 after the band had finished START:DASH. "I don't like getting political, but this is something I need to address." The whole crowd then went silent, anticipating Maki's words. "None of us here at µ's or Aqours will EVER endorse that motherfucker in the White House right now!" The entire crowd erupted into cheers upon her condemnation of the President. "That asshole, the so-called President Donald Trump, has endorsed hate and division in your beautiful country and throughout the world. He has jeopardized Japan's relations with your country, despite our relationship being so important." Maki was clearly not happy. "And to top it off, you got the fucking audacity to use the work of Queen to push your toxic message, huh? You got no fucking right to use a song composed and performed by a bisexual Iranian refugee, Mr. President." The whole crowd erupted in cheers.

Nozomi then shouted out on her microphone, "He has targeted people like us, whether it's because we're women, we're foreigners, or, in the case of me and Maki, we're LGBT, and we're fucking sick of it!"

Honoka then said to the audience beside Maki, "Maki rehearsed something special for you, Donny. Take it away."

"Alright," Maki began. "When I say "FUCK" you say "TRUMP!" Fuck!"

The entire crowd gleefully replied back, "Trump!"

"Fuck!"

"Trump!"

"When I say FUCK" you say "TRUMP!" Fuck!"

"Trump!"

"Fuck!"

"Trump!"

Maki then paused. "Fuck Trump! In fact, I got a little song from a little rap artist from Detroit that would fit how I feel about him and his government. Now, I know rap is pretty different from our normal setlist, but bear with me, because this needs to be heard. This is a little song called White America!"

_AMERICA! Ahahaha!_

_We love you!_

The rest of the band then jumped in, playing a cover of the instrumental track of the song.

_How many people are proud to be citizens of this beautiful country of ours?_

_The stripes and the stars for the rights that men have died for to protect?_

_The women and men who have broke their necks for the freedom of speech the United States government has sworn to uphold!_

_Or so we're told..._

Then, Maki jumped into the first verse of the song.

_I never woulda dreamed in a million years I'd see  
_

_So many motherfuckin' people who feel like me  
_

_Who share the same views and the same exact beliefs  
_

_It's like a fuckin' army marchin' in back of me  
_

_So many lives I touched, so much anger aimed  
_

_In no particular direction, just sprays and sprays_

_And straight through your radio waves, it plays and plays  
_

_'Til it stays stuck in your head, for days and days  
_

_Who woulda thought, standin' in this mirror, bleachin' my hair  
_

_With some peroxide, reachin' for a t-shirt to wear  
_

_That I would catapult to the forefront of rap like this?  
_

_How could I predict my words would have an impact like this?_

_I musta struck a chord with somebody up in the office  
_

_'Cause Congress keep tellin' me I ain't causin' nothin' but problems  
_

_And now they're sayin' I'm in trouble with the government  
_

_I'm lovin' it, I shoveled shit all my life, and now I'm dumpin' it on—  
_

Then, for the chorus, Rin and Honoka jumped in as well as the crowd also joined in.

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

For the next verse, Nozomi took over, rapping while playing the guitar at the same time, an interesting sight that impressed the fired-up crowd.

_Look at these eyes, baby blue, baby just like yourself  
_

_If they were brown, Shady'd lose, Shady sits on the shelf  
_

_But Shady's cute, Shady knew Shady's dimples would help  
_

_Make ladies swoon, baby (ooh, baby!) — look at my sales!  
_

_L_ _et's do the math: if I was black, I woulda sold half  
_

_I ain't have to graduate from Lincoln High School to know that  
_

_But I could rap, so fuck school, I'm too cool to go back  
_

_Give me the mic! Show me where the fuckin' studio's at!_

_When I was underground no one gave a fuck I was white_

_No labels wanted to sign me, almost gave up, I was like_

_"Fuck it," until I met Dre, the only one to look past_

_Gave me a chance and I lit a fire up under his ass_

_Helped him get back to the top, every fan black that I got_

_Was probably his in exchange for every white fan that he's got_

_Like damn, we just swapped: sittin' back lookin' at shit, wow_

_I'm like my skin is just startin' to work to my benefit now?_

This time, the entire band joined in on the chorus.

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

For the final verse, Maki took over once more.

_See, the problem is, I speak to suburban kids_

_Who otherwise woulda never knew these words exist_

_Whose moms probly woulda never gave two squirts of piss_

_'Til I created so much motherfuckin' turbulence_

_Straight out the tube, right into your livin' rooms I came_

_And kids flipped when they knew I was produced by Dre_

_That's all it took, and they were instantly hooked right in_

_And they connected with me too, because I looked like them_

_That's why they put my lyrics up under this microscope_

_Searchin' with a fine tooth comb, it's like this rope_

_Waitin' to choke, tightenin' around my throat_

_Watchin' me while I write this, like, "I don't like this note!"_

_All I hear is: lyrics, lyrics, constant controversy_

_Sponsors working round the clock to try to stop my concerts early_

_Surely hip-hop was never a problem in Harlem, only in Boston_

_After it bothered the fathers of daughters startin' to blossom_

_So now I'm catchin' the flak from these activists when they raggin'_

_Actin' like I'm the first rapper to smack a bitch or say "faggot," shit_

_Just look at me like I'm your closest pal_

_The posterchild, the motherfuckin' spokesman now, for—_

Again, the entire band joined in for the chorus.

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

For the outro speech of the song, Maki addressed the crowd. She changed up some of the lyrics to match the current times.

_So to the parents of America, I am the Deringer_

_Aimed at little Erica to attack her character_

_To fight the ringleader of this circus of pawns_

_Who has lead a march right up to the steps of Congress_

_To piss on the constitution and on liberty_

_To burn the flag and replace it with a Neo-Nazi swastika_

_To spit liquor in the face of democracy and justice_

_Fuck you, Mr. Trump! Fuck you, Mr. Pence!_

_Fuck you with the freest of speech your Divided States of Embarrassment will allow me to have! Fuck you!_

Then, the song stopped. Maki laughed as the crowd cheered her and the rest of the band. "Don't worry, America. I love you as a country. It's your President I got a problem with."

Honoka said to the crowd, "My, oh my. What a song, am I right? Now, this... This next one was written when we first tried to get into Love Live. Sadly, an incident at the first performance of the song resulted in us missing out on that Love Live competition, with said incident being me collapsing from exhaustion after overexerting myself. Don't worry, I'm fine, I'm fine." She then laughed. "Alright, this is called No Brand Girls, and it starts off like this!" She then pointed to Nozomi as she began playing the guitar.

_[ALL:] Oh yeah!_

_[ALL:] Oh yeah!_

_[ALL:] Oh yeah!_

_[ALL:] Isshin icchou!_

Then, the rest of the band joined in. Rin and Maki stood beside Honoka, who was the lead in this song, as Nico and Umi joined in on the guitar. While the song was already pretty heavy, the band had managed to turn up the intensity of the song for this tour.

_[Honoka:] Hora makenai yo ne?_

_[Maki:] Kuyashii na mada no brand_

_[Kotori:] Shiraretenai yo no brand_

_[Nico:] Nanimo kamo kore kara, atsui kibun_

_[Nozomi:] Tanoshii yo demo no brand ([All but Nozomi:] Do you know?)_

_[Umi:] Harikitterun da no brand ([All but Umi:] Do you know?)_

_[Rin:] Dakara koko de deau tame ni! (All but Rin:] Yes I know!)_

_[Hanayo:] Mezasu basho wa! ([Honoka:] Takai)_

_[Eli:] Ima yori takaku ([Hanayo:] Doko made?)_

_[Honoka:] Chansu no maegami wo_

_([Eli:] Motte) [Honoka:] Hanasanai kara_

_([Hanayo:] Motte) [Honoka:] Hanasanai kara_

_[Honoka:] Kiseki no niji wo [Everyone:] Watarunda_

Then, the band jumped into the energy-filled chorus, handing off parts of the chorus to the audience.

_[Everyone]: Kabe wa [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Kowaseru mono sa [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Everyone:]  Jibun kara motto chikara wo dashite yo_

_[Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Kowaseru mono sa [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki de mirai wo misete_

_[Everyone:]  Un makenai kara!_

The second verse of the song started with Nozomi before moving onto Umi and Rin.

_[Nozomi:] Kizutsukeaccha no good_

_[Umi:] Nakatagai wa no good_

_[Rin:] Daisuki no gokai wa Tsurai kibun_

_[Hanayo:] Kurushii mune wa no good ([All but Hanayo:] Hurry up!)_

_[Eli:] Akirametara No good ([All but Eli:] Hurry up!)_

_[Honoka:] Sou sa nareba kanau omoi_

_[Kotori:] Negau basho wa ([Nico:] Tooi!)_

_[Maki:] Madamada tooku ([Kotori:] Dono kana?)_

_[Nico:] Janpu de chikaku nare_

_([Maki:] Kyou no) [Nico:] Senobi no kimi to_

_([Kotori:] Gutto) [Nico:] Senobi no boku de_

_[Nico:] Ano hi no chikai [Everyone:] Sagasunda_

They then jumped into the second chorus.

_[Everyone]: Yami wo [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Fukitobasou yo [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Oiharaou yo_

_[Everyone:]  Jibun kara ima wo kaereba ii no sa_

_[Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Fukitobasou yo [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Oiharaou yo_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki de mirai wo misete_

_[Everyone:] Sou da yo kakugo wa dekita_

Nico them jumped into an intense guitar solo as Nozomi played the rhythm guitar. For the section after the solo, the band replaced the "oh yeah" section with another guitar solo by Umi. Once that solo ended, the whole band started up again.

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Honoka]: Kabe wa [Everyone:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Honoka:] Kowaseru mono sa [Everyone:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Honoka:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Honoka:]  Jibun kara motto chikara wo dashite yo_

_[Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Kowaseru mono sa [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki de mirai wo misete_

_[Everyone:] Sou da yo kakugo wa dekita_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah! Zenshin zenrei!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeaaaah!_

Hanayo then ended the song with a short drum fill followed by the loud crashing of cymbals. She stood up from her drum throne and yelled while holding her drum sticks in the air, "Alright!" The crowd went wild, cheering loudly.

* * *

  ** _April 5, 2013_**

A voice called out in Hanayo's house. "Alright, let's take it from the top. One, two, three, four!"

Hanayo then began playing a slow drum beat to a metronome in her mother's room. As she did, she said to her mother, "Am I doing good?"

"Wonderful," her mom replied. "It reminds me of when I was your age, even."

After Hanayo finished about two minutes worth of drums, she asked her mother, "Say, how did you get into drumming in the first place?"

"Well," her mom said as she knelt down next to her. "Before I was an idol, I played in Otonokizaka's school band in percussion. I initially started out with timpani drums as a first-year, but I managed to hone my skills and start drumming with a full drum set. When my friends at the time wanted to create an idol group after we graduated, I decided that instead of using a drum machine to create percussion for our songs, I would instead play the drums in the recording booth. I rarely played them on stage, though."

"What was the hardest song you ever did drums on?"

"Oh my," Hanayo's mom laughed. "It was a song the leader of my idol group had written. It was one of only 3 songs I performed the drums live on, since it only featured the vocals of 3 out of the 5 of us. The other girl played the piano live, which she also did for all of our songs in the recording booth. She gave me free reign to compose the entirety of the percussion of the rather heavy song, which I took to my full advantage. Wanna hear it?"

"Sure thing," Hanayo replied as she hopped off the drum throne.

Hanayo's mom then pulled up an old live performance of the song on YouTube somebody had uploaded a while ago. "Let's see if I can remember all of this."

She then proceeded to rock the house for 4 and a half minutes as she drummed away to the song, much to the amazement of her daughter. "Whoa! How cool!" As she continued, she closed her eyes and let the music guide her as she saw herself travel back in time to that concert. As she did, she smiled.

She then closed the song out with a smash of the cymbals and a shout of, "Right on!" She then laughed.

"Mom," Hanayo said in amazement. "That was amazing! You were awesome!"

"I told you," she replied as she hugged her daughter and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Now, how about you try?"

* * *

 

_**January 12, 2018** _

"Alright," Maki said as she flipped several switches in a recording studio. "It's just us, Nozomi-senpai. Now, we will be doing a second vocal take of Garasu no Hanazono, is that correct?"

"That's right," Nozomi replied, standing in the recording booth with headphones on, looking over the lyrics. "Are you all set, Maki-chan? And you don't have to call me senpai anymore. We're peers now, not high schoolers of different grades."

"Sorry," Maki apologized. "Force of habit, I guess. Now, let's take it from the top." She then pressed the play button as the recently recorded and mixed instrumental track of the song began playing.

As Nozomi began singing the song, Maki began to pay attention to the lyrics more this time around. She thought to herself,  _"This is weird... She told us that she wrote it as a solo song, but wanted another person to sing it with her. When Eli stepped up to the plate and offered to join in, Nozomi emphatically said yes. Coupled with the lyrics and her bisexuality..."_

After she finished the first chorus, Maki stopped the track. Nozomi, startled, asked Maki, "Huh? What happened?"

"Nozomi-chan," Maki asked her. "Can you tell me why you wrote this song? It's just the two of us. Don't be afraid. If you don't want me to, I won't tell a soul, not even anyone else in the group."

"Uhhh," Nozomi replied, trying to find an answer. "Well, remember when we were trying to write a love song?"

"Oh yeah," Maki replied.

"I wrote Garasu no Hanazono back then," Nozomi explained. "But I scrapped it because I thought it was too heavy on the love part. I know that sounds weird, but trust me on that one."

Maki doubted her. "I got some doubts that's the only reason."

Nozomi began to sweat nervously. "Uhhh..."

"C'mon," Maki told her. "It's just us. If you got a secret, it's safe with me."

Nozomi then closed her eyes and sighed. "Maki-chan... The truth is... Garasu no Hanazono was not written as a solo song. I lied. I wrote it with Eli as a second lead vocal. Her asking to join me was pure coincidence, though."

"I see," Maki replied. "Is there anything else? Look, Nozomi, you've come out to us that you've liked other girls the same way we would like boys, you included. I'm not implying you feel that way about your best friend, but if you are, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone, I swear."

Nozomi then sighed. "It... It's true... I began to see Eli as so much more than a friend in my second year at Otonokizaka. Before then, though I knew I liked girls, too, I never saw her as more than a friend. Then, one day, it just kinda happened. I began looking at her so much differently. Before, if she had been over at my house, or if I was over at her's, and let's say we were changing clothes, I didn't feel uncomfortable getting changed with her in the same room or something or seeing her naked. But... After then, though I didn't still feel that uncomfortable, I found myself admiring her body and wanting to... You know. Then, I began having dreams and stuff about her. Some ended with sex, other's were just about us spending some time together. That's when I knew I fell for her. I never told her, though, because I knew she'd say "I love you, Nozomi, but not in that way." The thing is, though I love her, I don't want to hurt her by telling her that, especially since she'd dating someone else. I at least want our friendship to stay if we can't be together as girlfriend and, well, girlfriend." She then rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry if I seem like some kind of creep, Maki. I just needed to get that out. And yes, Garasu no Hanazono is about Eli."

Maki, now knowing the seriousness of the situation, replied, "Nozomi-chan, your secret is safe with me. I won't tell a soul, unless you want me to, of course. I swear."

"Thank you," Nozomi replied. "Now, let's start again, shall we?"


	10. Charts

_June 13, 2020_

µ's and Aqours were to hold the first of 5 consecutive concerts at the venerable Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico. After these 5 concerts, they were to perform 2 concerts in Puerto Rico, and then cap off their North American tour with an upcoming performance on MTV Unplugged on July 17. Before the concert, Chika and Honoka were interviewed separately by a local university radio station called XHUPC-FM. Both interviews were conducted in English, as it was the only language that both the interviewers and the girls understood fluently together.

First, Chika was interviewed by a student named Alonzo Vera. He had interviewed local figures before, but never international ones. Just before the interview started, Chika noticed that he seemed nervous as he sat down across from her. She looked at him and told him, "Hey, don't be so worried. You will be fine." She then smiled and laughed.

"Thank you," Alonzo replied as he pressed a button to signal that they were ready to record. He then said in Spanish, "Alright, we are recording off the air." He then said in English, "Thank you for coming to talk to us, Chika Takami. Now, I understand this is Aqours' first time outside of Japan, correct?"

"That is true," Chika replied as she nodded her head. "In fact, none of us except for Mari have ever been outside of Japan. Ohara Mari, one of our guitarists, was actually born in New York City, but she had to renounce her American citizenship to become a Japanese citizen. Her father is an Italian-American, and her mother is Japanese."

"Tell me," Alonzo then continued. "Has it been challenging at all to perform in a land you've never been in before?"

"It definitely was at first," Chika replied. "To prepare, we all brushed up heavily on English. We were lucky in that our old high school, Uranohoshi, had a very good English program. By the time you were a third-year, practically the entire class was taught in English, with almost no Japanese. Still, I remember being hands-off earlier in the year and letting Mari do most of the talking, since she's a native English and Japanese speaker. Given that we and µ's seem to be starting some sort of... Uhh... Wave, I guess, towards popular music from not just Japan, but also Korea and even China and Taiwan, I think learning English will be very useful for the Asian music industry from now on."

"That reminds me," Alonzo continued as he checked over his notes. "After the release of your latest album here in North America, as well as µ's' latest album, Japanese music has seen more and more airplay on the radio. For example, the new µ's album is at #3 in America and #7 in Mexico, while your new album is at #10 in America and #12 in Mexico. Do you think that the next time Aqours comes to America, they will be a standalone act?"

"Of course," Chika replied before laughing. "We are definitely attaining a following here in North America. At all of our concerts where we open for µ's, we tend to get very responsive crowds. They love us. We are definitely doing a standalone tour of North America when our next album comes out. You can count on that, mi amigo." They then both laughed. She then adjusted her bright orange hair as Alonzo moved to the next question.

"I heard that two other groups who have similar beginnings to you are beginning to gain traction here, too," said Alonzo. "They are A-RISE and Saint Snow. Tell me, have you and µ's ever done anything with either of those other groups?"

"Of course," Chika replied. "We all know each other very well. Saint Snow was our "rival" group ion our school idol days, as A-RISE was to µ's. I enjoy both of their music, and I think they will do very well here in the North American market. Recently, Saint Snow has actually taken on the younger sisters of µ's bandmates Eli Ayase and Honoka Kousaka. Their names are Alisa Ayase and Yukiho Kousaka. They will be playing the drums and bass respectively on Saint Snow's new album, which I believe is coming out sometime in October, so stay tuned. Also, A-RISE should be releasing a new album sometime in January next year. I believe the tours for both of those albums will include dates in North America."

* * *

"Now," Alonzo asked Honoka in a later interview in English. "How has your fanbase in Japan reacted to your change in style and tone?"

"Well," Honoka replied in English. "We still have a fanbase, so there's that. Our album is at #1 there, and Warning From The Heavens charted at #1 there within 5 days of it being released on February 21, ahead of our tour. In Japan, songs tend to stay at #1 for a short period of time, but stay within the top 40 or top 10 for a **_really_** long time. Warning From The Heavens is the first single in the 21st century in Japan to chart at #1 on the Oricon charts for more than 7 weeks. It also is the longest song to ever chart at #1 on either chart, clocking in at 8 minutes and 34 seconds. It charted at #1 on the Oricon charts for 8 weeks and at #1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for 10 weeks. We use two music charts in Japan, kind of like how America used to use the really old Cashbox charts in addition to the Billboard charts. Now, there have been some fans who are questioning our turn to rock music or our adoption of onstage instruments used by us, but most have stayed loyal to us."

"I see," Alonzo replied. "How do you feel about fellow bandmate Maki Nishikino making political statements, like in Berkeley not too long ago?"

"I don't mind," Honoka said, taken aback by the question. "Well... The thing is, we all agreed with her on the Trump issue. None of us like him. Same with her interview in Washington, D.C. We all tend to feel the same way on those issues."

"Interesting," Alonzo replied as he asked the next question. "So, your first concert in Mexico will be in just a few hours. Are you ready?"

Honoka laughed. "Of course I am. We're all ready to take on the crowds here in Mexico."

* * *

 

The concert began with Aqours' opening set. As always, Yoshiko started things off with the custom-edited tape of Flash by Queen. The lights on stage pulsed to the beat of the song at the Palacio de los Deportes. The crowd below chanted endlessly, "Aqours! Aqours! Aqours! Aqours!" They would play a sold-out crowd of 26,000.

_FLASH! AAH!_

_FLASH! AAH!  
_

_FLASH! AAH!_

Then, a long pause in the vocals occurred as the band got ready behind the stage. Ruby and Hanamaru took their seats on their drum sets as Mari and Dia got ready from opposite ends of the stage.

_FLASH! AAH!_

Then, Dia and Mari emerged from behind stage and began playing the song live as the rest of the band flooded onto the stage. Accompanying them was a loud blast of pyrotechnics from the front of the stage as Yoshiko triggered them as well as the lights to turn on. Yoshiko played along on her synthesizer as she waved to the crowd.  Riko emerged onto the stage as called out, "¡Hola! ¡Buenos dias!" The crowd wildly cheered in response. Already, Aqours had captured the direct attention of the audience, and now, they held them in the palms of their hands.

As always, once the band transitioned into The Hero, Chika and Kanan took over on the guitar from Dia and Mari. You also stood beside Chika as she strummed away at the bass. Yoshiko continued to wildly play on her synths as Riko began to sing.

_So you feel like you ain't nobody!_

_Always feel that you need somebody!_

_Put your feet on the ground, put your hand on your heart!_

_Put your head to the sky and the world's for your taking!_

_All you gotta do is save the world!_

_So you feel like it's end of story!_

_Find it all pretty satisfactory!_

_Well I'll tell you, my friend, this might seem like the end!_

_But the continuation is your's for the making!_

_Yes, you're the hero!_

Then, Chika played a guitar riff to signal the end of the song as Ruby and Hanamaru both played a drum and cymbal fill to close the song out. Then, when it ended, the stage went dark again as the arena, impressed, cheered and clapped with applause. Riko said to Chika in response just before the next song, "They love us!" Chika and Kanan then put their guitars away on racks located on stage and grabbed mic stands.

Yoshiko then played the lead-in to their next song as the band took their positions.

_[Everyone:] Mita koto nai yume no kidou... Oikakete!_

Upon the last word of the beginning line, pyrotechnics once again burst from the stage.

_[Everyone:] Shining road! Hashiri dasu kono kimochi!_

_[Everyone:] Massugu ni, ikioi yoku, kimi wo sagashiteta yo!_

_[Everyone:] Chotto matte nante muri tobidasou, bokutachi no naka no!_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki ga sawaideru!_

As always, Hanamaru, Ruby, and Yoshiko pulled away from their microphones as the rest of the band sang the next line of the song before they sang a short word, followed by the other 6 members of the band continuing.

_Itsumo no sekai ga atarashii tobira wo! (1Y: Motto!)_

_Kakishiteru no! (1Y: Let's go!)_

_Zenbu aketai yo!_

_1/2Y: Hora issho ni ne!_

Then, the band energetically jumped into the chorus as the crowd sang along. Most could not speak a single sentence of Japanese, and most had only a basic understanding of English, but they did not care at all.

_1/2Y: Hajimetai! My story! (3Y: Saa ima de!)_

_1/2Y: Aoi sora ga matteru! (3Y: Fu!)_

_[Everyone:] Yume wo dakishimete Jumping Heart sore dake de!_

_[Everyone:] Ashita e to susumeru seishun masshigura?!_

_2/3Y: Hajimatta toki no! (1Y: Sunshine Story!)_

_2/3Y: Tokimeki zutto daiji ni ne! (1Y: Fu!)_

_[Everyone:] Yume wo tsukamae ni yuku yo donna koto ga!_

_[Everyone:] Okoru no ka wakaranai no mo... Tanoshimi sa!_

Then, Chika began the next segment of the song, followed by the second years all singing together alongside other groupings.

[ _Chika:] Open Mind, tsutaenakya tsutawaranai!_

_(2Y): S aisho kara KANPEKI ni!_

_[You:] Dekiru hazu wa nai kara!_

_[Ruby:] Toriaezu genki ni!_

_(Chika/You/Ruby): Tobidasou! Bokutachi no SUTAATO RAIN GOORU wa tooi ka na!_

_[Kanan:] Mabushii SEKAI de yobu koe ga kikoeta!_

_(Kanan/Hanamaru: Motto!) [Dia:] K iite mitakute!_

_(Kanan/Dia: Let's go!) [Hanamaru:] Hikari no mukou e!_

_[Hanamaru/Kanan/Dia]: Hora, issho ni ne!_

For the second chorus, Dia and Mari cranked up their guitars higher.

_2/3Y: Kanaetai na! My Future (1Y: Saa doko e!) 2/3Y: Taiyou ga noboru you ni (1Y: FU!)_

_[Everyone:] Yume yo kagayaite Charging Heart!_

_[Everyone:] Chikara ippai kanaeyou negai wo seishun pikkari da!?_

_1/2Y: Kaetai to omou (3Y: Sunshine mission!) 1/2Y: Kimochi ga kitto daiji da yo (3y: FU!)_

_[Everyone:] Yume wo tsukamae ni yuku yo!_

_[Everyone:] Minna to nara setsumei wa dekinai kedo daijoubu sa!_

As always, Mari played a short guitar solo to bridge between the second chorus and the next section of the song. As she did, the whole audience clapped along.

_[Everyone:] Jumping Heart! [Riko:] Datte hajimetai koto ga!_

_[Everyone:] Charging Heart! [Yoshiko:] Ima mitsukatta bakkari!_

_[Mari:] GOORU wa doko? [Riko/Yoshiko]: doko darou? [Mari:] Wakaranai!_

_[Mari/Yoshiko/Riko:] Wakaranai demo ne tanoshisou da yo!_

For the final chorus, the Mexican audience was more than happy to take some of the lines from the band, who gladly gave them to them.

_[Everyone:] Hajimetai! My Story! Aoi sora ga matteru! (Audience: FU!)_

_[Everyone:] Yume wo dakishimete (Audience: Jumping Heart!)_

_[Everyone:] Sore dake de ashita e to susumeru seishun masshigura!?_

_[Everyone:] Hajimatta toki no! (Audience: Sunshine Story!) [Everyone:] Tokimeki zutto daiji ni ne! (Audience: FU!)_

_[Everyone:] Yume wo tsukamae ni yuku yo!_

_[Everyone:]Donna koto ga okoru no ka wakaranai miri!_

_[Everyone:] Yume wo tsukamae ni yuku yo!_

_[Everyone:] Minna to nara setsumei wa dekinai kedo daijoubu sa! (Chika yells, "Sing it for us!") (Audience: Masshigura!)_

Ruby and Hanamaru then closed the song out with a loud and long drum fill. Once it closed out, the audience cheered loudly for the band. Riko then addressed the audience, saying, "¡Hola, Mexico!" The crowd cheered back. "!¿Cómo estas esta noche?!" The crowd again cheered. "Alright, good, good. Before we continue, I'd like to have Chika introduce us to you all!"

Chika then spoke, saying, "I am Chika Takami, the founder of the band, a vocalist, and a guitarist." She then pointed to You. "That is You Watanabe, my best friend. She is the bassist of the band and an inspiration for me." She then pointed to Riko. "That is the girl who was just talking, Riko Sakurauchi. She is our pianist and a lead vocalist." She then poined to Dia and Mari. "Those two are Dia Kurosawa and Mari Ohara. They created the original Aqours, and both are awesome guitarists." They both blushed and smiled in response. Chika then pointed at Kanan. "That is Kanan Matsuura. She is another guitarist and vocalist. She also was in the original Aqours." She then pointed to Yoshiko. "That is Yoshiko Tsushina, also known as Yohane. She does everything related to stage FX and synths. She also is a talented writer and a creative force." She then pointed to Ruby and Hanamaru. "Those two are Ruby Kurosawa, sister of Dia, and Hanamaru Kunikida. They are our very talented drummers. We decided on having two drummers to make our percussion more in-depth, and it surely shows."

Kanan then said to the crowd, "So, who here is ready for the night of their life?" After the crowd cheered in agreement, Kanan replied, "Good, good. Now, this next song is a new one off of our album. This is a short little hard rock number called Life Of Style!" **(A/N: Half of this song is in English and the other half is in Japanese. The following is a translation.)**

Dia and Mari started the song by playing the beginning of its riff as Hanamaru and Ruby then segued into the song, which was a hard rock tune with the lead vocals by You and Dia.

_(JP) [You:]_ _With no one else to turn to and nowhere to go, I turned to the night!_

_(JP) [You:] The wind blew back my hair as I walked the streets, barely seeing the light!_

_(JP) [You:] I had nowhere to turn to, and nowhere to go!_

_(JP) [You:] But such is the life, the life that just blows!_

For the chorus, the entire band sang in English.

_(EN) [Everyone:] The life of style! The life of glamour! The life of pain! The life of the hammer!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] They make you look a model! On the streets you just waddle!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] While the night keeps whittling away at your life!_

For the second verse, Dia sang. The second verse almost explicitly gave away what the song, written by You after hearing stories of her mother's tough childhood and teenage years, was about.

_(JP) [Dia:]_ _With no one else to turn to and nowhere to go, I turned to the night!_

_(JP) [Dia:] My boss says if I don't get another man, this will be the last flight!_

_(JP) [Dia:] Come on, come on, now, set me free!_

_(JP) [Dia:] Maybe this time, you'll go down in history!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] The life of style! The life of glamour! The life of pain! The life of the hammer!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] They make you look a model! On the streets you just waddle!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] While the night keeps whittling away at your life!_

Following the second chorus, Dia played a short guitar solo for a few bars before You began her verse. As the solo played on, the crowd clapped along.

_(JP) [You:] With no one else to turn to and nowhere to go, I turned to the night!_

_(JP) [You:] I feel so used after yet another visit, I feel so light!_

_(JP) [You:] My body feels drained, and I can barely stand!_

_(JP) [You:] I collapse onto the street! My life has been canned!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] The life of style! The life of glamour! The life of pain! The life of the hammer!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] They make you look a model! On the streets you just waddle!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] While the night keeps whittling away at your life!_

For the fourth and final verse, Dia sang. Her verse was passionate, but dark.

_(JP) [Dia] With no one else to turn to and nowhere to go, I turned to the night!_

_(JP) [Dia:] Yet was it all really worth it? Was it worth all the pain and fights?_

_(JP) [Dia:] I'm on the ground, almost no life left!_

_(JP) [Dia:] I curse this life, that has committed this theft!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] The life of style! The life of glamour! The life of pain! The life of the hammer!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] They make you look a model! On the streets you just waddle!_

_(EN) [Everyone:] While the night keeps whittling away at your life!_

The song then concluded with another guitar solo that lasted for a few bars, this time by Mari. Once the solo ended, Hanamaru and Ruby ended the song with a smash of cymbals as the crowd cheered.

"Alright," You replied. "Thank you! ¡Gracias! This... This next song on our setlist was originally a subunit composition by Guilty Kiss, which was composed of Mari, Riko, and Yoshiko. Take it away, girls!"

Mari then shouted, "Strawberry Trapper!" Kanan and Chika quickly grabbed their guitars as Dia and Mari began playing the song.

_[ALL]: Mattenai yo Love!_

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Riko]: Mitsuketa! Kimi wa..._

_[Riko]: Sabishii hitomi datta..._

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Yoshiko]: Kodou ga natteru..._

_[Yoshiko]: "Te ni irenasai" to!_

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Mari:] Reisei na hodo..._

_[Mari]: Atsusa wo tanoshimeru no!_

_[Mari]: Takamaru omoi wa osaete!_

_([Riko/Mari]: Shizuka ni!) [Yoshiko]: Atsumeru kimi no jouhou!_

_([Riko/Yoshiko]: Dashika ni!) [Mari:] Kachi aru sensitive mind!_

_[Riko]: Haigo ni atsumeru... Suriru ga tamaranai... Nerai sadametara nigasanai kara!_

_[GK]: Nigasanai kara! ([Mari]: My target!)_

Then, the entire band joined in for the energetic chorus.

_[ALL]: Trapped in dice! Koi no wana kara!_

_[ALL]: Trapped by night! Hajimaritai!_

_[ALL]: Trapped in hearts! Odori nagara jinsei no umei!_

_[ALL]: Unmei wa! Arikitari ja tsumaranai!_

_[ALL]: Tokubetsu wo kanjitai no!_

_[ALL]: Ubaitai kimi no koto! Mattenai yo Love!_

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Yoshiko:] Obieru kao ga!_

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Yoshiko:] Mitai no nante sa!_

_([GK]: Woah! Woah!) [Mari:] Takuramu toki wa!_

_[Mari:] Kitto warui kao ne!_

_[Riko]: Itadakitai no wa... Sono kokoro yo!_

_[Riko]: Morokute ayaui yasashisa!_

_([Riko/Mari]: Shizuka ni!) [Yoshiko]: Kodoku wo aisuru kimi!_

_([Mari/Yoshiko]: Tashikana!) [Riko:] Kagayaki hanatsu no!_

_[Mari]: Kidzukarenai uchi ni... Watashi no mono ni shitai!_

_[Mari]: Nerai sadame da yo nigasanai kara!_

_[GK]: Nigasanai kara! ([Yoshiko]: My target!)_

For the second chorus, they let the audience take most of the chorus, a practice they had begun doing halfway through the North American leg of the tour.

_[Audience:] Tricky dice! [Everyone:[ Koi no Kaketara!_

_[Audience:] Tricky night! [Everyone:] Ato no hikena!_

_[Audience:] Tricky Heart! [Everyone:] Katsu dake desho jinsei wa ruureto!_

_[Audience:] Unmei to! [Everyone:] Wakaru deai suteki da wa!_

_[Audience:] Tokubetsu wo kanjitara!_

Then, Yoshiko began a vocal solo.

_[Yoshiko:] Yohane, shoukkan! Te ni irete himetaru koe wa!_

_[Yoshiko:] Berry no kaori Trapped in One Night!_

_[Yoshiko]: Akai Berry amaku tsuyoku! Shitatatte!_

It was immediately followed by a blazing guitar solo by Mari, backed up by Dia, Chika and Kanan. Mari took center stage alongside them as many in the crowd began to headbang to the solo, amusing Mari. For this night, Mari doubled the length of the guitar solo and drastically experimented, impressing the audience and even the rest of the band with her skills.

_[Mari:] Tricky dice! [Yoshiko:] Koi no kaketara!_

_[Mari:] Tricky night! [Riko:] Ato ni hikenai_

_[Mari:] Tricky heart! [Yoshiko:] Katsu dake desho!_

_[Yoshiko/Riko:] Jinsei wa ruureto! [Mari:] (Lock! On!)_

_[ALL]: Trapped by night! Hajimaritai!_

_[ALL]: Trapped in hearts! Odori nagara jinsei no umei!_

_[ALL]: Unmei wa! Arikitari ja tsumaranai!_

_[ALL]: Tokubetsu wo kanjitai no!_

_[ALL]: Ubaitai kimi no koto! Mattenai yo amai! Amai! Berry!_

_[ALL:] Kokoro ni aka no yuukawa! Berry! Trapper!_

_[GK:] Nerai sadameta yo!_

The whole crowd went wild for Aqours once the song finished. Mari bowed and said, "Thank you, thank you! Domo arigatou gozaimashita! All of you!"

Riko addressed the crowd, saying, "You guys rock! No, really! You guys were great!"


	11. Mexico City

"Alright," Riko said to the audience. "This next song on our set list is another new song, this time sung by Dia, Ruby, and Mari. This is called Last Game!"  _ **(A/N: This entire song is in Japanese.)**_ The song began with Ruby singing the first verse as the band joined in instrumentally, with the audience cheering. All the while, she drummed away as Riko played along on the piano.

_[Ruby:] I never knew that one day my actions would come back to bite me!_

_[Ruby:] I never knew that one day my actions would come back to spite me!_

_[Ruby:] I never knew that breaking your heart would feel so wrong!_

_[Ruby:] I never knew that this last game of hearts would be so strong!_

_[Ruby:] Oh, but I know that you planned this from the start!_

_[Ruby:] I broke you so now you're gonna take revenge on my heart!_

Instead of having a chorus, this song ended each verse with a long guitar solo by Mari. As she strummed along, the crowd waved purple light sticks and cheered. As the solo ended, Hanamaru and Ruby smashed their cymbals 5 times to cue into the second verse, which was sung by Mari herself. The blonde then moved in on her microphone.

_[Mari:] I never knew that one day my actions would come back to bite me!_

_[Mari:] I never knew that one day my actions would come back to spite me!_

_[Mari:] You fell to the floor, with your heart shattered to pieces!_

_[Mari:] Pain is the only thing this last game of hearts releases!_

_[Mari:] Oh, but I know that you wanted this all along!_

_[Mari:] You wanted me to feel this pain to show I was not strong!_

Again, Mari played a long guitar solo as the band continued to rock out. The song had been written by Mari about a girlfriend she had dated a year earlier that she had broken up with. Said breakup only led to more problems for the blonde. Dia then got ready to sing as Ruby and Hanamaru closed out the solo with 5 cymbal smashes.

_[Dia:] I never knew that one day my actions would come back to bite me!_

_[Dia:] I never knew that one day my actions would come back to spite me!_

_[Dia:] This last game of hearts has done a number on my mind!_

_[Dia:] I'm free no longer, my heart is in a bind!_

_[Dia:] Oh, but I know that you set me up to fail!_

Then, the whole band went quiet with their instruments as all 3 girls sang the last line.

_[Dia/Mari/Ruby:] That's what you wanted to see, that was your holy grail!_

Mari then finished the song with a third and final guitar solo. As it ended, Ruby and Hanamaru did a drum fill before they both grabbed mallets and struck gongs behind their drum sets, ending the song with a bang as the audience cheered for Aqours. Dia said, "Arigatou! Thank you so much!"

 Then, Ruby and Hanamaru began the next song with a few bars on the drums, followed by Riko entering in on the piano and Kanan and Mari entering in on the guitar. To add more bass to the song, Yoshiko grabbed a second bass guitar to join You. The next song, Super Chance, was much more upbeat than the last song.  _ **(A/N: This entire song is in Japanese.)**_

_[Chika:] I have a feeling today that nothing can stop me! No, no!_

_[Chika:] I have a feeling today of nothing but joy! Oh yeah!_

_[Chika:] Nobody can tell me what to do, no not today! No, no!_

_[Chika:] Today will be the day I enjoy myself! Oh yeah!_

Then, the band jumped into the chorus.

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] No more office! No more work!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] No more overtime hours!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I hope this chance to finally enjoy myself!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] Was worth the overtime and hell I gave myself!_

For the next verse, Kanan took over.

_[Kanan:] I have a feeling today that nothing can stop me! No, no!_

_[Kanan:] Overwork seems to have finally paid off! Oh yeah!_

_[Kanan:] Nobody can tell me what to do, no not today! No, no!_

_[Kanan:] No boss I have to listen to and gripe about! Oh yeah!_

Instead of jumping into another chorus, the song jumped into a guitar solo by Mari that lasted for about half a minute. Then, the rest of the band went quiet as Ruby and Hanamaru drummed by themselves for a few bars. Then, the band jumped into the chorus, repeating it another time before the song ended.

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] No more office! No more work!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] No more overtime hours!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I hope this chance to finally enjoy myself!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] Was worth the overtime and hell I gave myself!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] No more office! No more work!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] No more overtime hours!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I finally have a chance to sit back!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] I hope this chance to finally enjoy myself!_

_[Kanan/Chika:] Was worth the overtime and hell I gave myself!_

Upon the song ending, the crowd cheered. Chika told the crowd, "Gracias! Arigatou! Thank you! Now, this... This next song is another older song. This one is a number called MIRAI TICKET!" The crowd went wild after she announced the song's name. The band then jumped into the classic song. Riko started them off on the piano, with Yoshiko using her keyboard synthesizer to add violins to the background. Then, Hanamaru and Ruby began to drum along.

_[Everyone:] HIKARI ni narou MIRAI wo terashitai_

_[Everyone:] Kagayaki wa kokoro kara afuredasu yo_

_[Chika/You/Riko:] Yume ga umare yume no tame ni naita toki demo_

_[Ruby/Hanamaru/Yoshiko:] Akiramenai koto de tsunagatta_

_[Dia/Kanan/Mari:] Minna minna nayami nagara koko e tadoritsuita ne korekara da yo ima wa_

_[Chika:] Mou mayowanai_

_[Ruby/Hanamaru/Yoshiko:] Akogare dakishimete_

_[Dia/Kanan/Mari:] Tsugi e susumunda_

_[Chika/You/Riko:] Bokutachi dake no shin sekai ga ([Everyone except Second Years:] Kitto aru!)_

_[Chika/You/Riko:] We say "Yousoro!"_

When the chorus came along, the song picked up in intensity. Like many songs, the band had added more rock elements, especially to the chorus.

_[Everyone:] Fune ga yuku yo MIRAI e tobidatou!_

_[Everyone:] Aoi sora waratteru_

_[Everyone:] HIKARI ni narou MIRAI wo terashitai_

_[Chika:] Kagayaki wa kokoro kara_

_[Ruby/Hanamaru/Yoshiko:] A_ _fure_

_[You/Riko:] Dashite_

_[Dia/Kanan/Mari:] Motto_

_[Everyone:] Saki no keshiki nozomunda_

Then, shortly after the chorus ended, Chika shouted into her microphone, "Awww yeah!" This was followed by Kanan launching into a guitar solo that bridged over to a short vocal solo by Chika.

_[Chika:] HIKARI ni narou MIRAI wo terashitai_

_[Chika:] Ima wa mou mayowanai_

Then, the rest of the band joined in on the last chorus, with Riko jumping up from the piano to join Chika.

_[Everyone:] Fune ga yuku yo MIRAI e tobidatou!_

_[Everyone:] Aoi sora waratteru_

_[Everyone:] HIKARI ni narou MIRAI wo terashitai_

_[Chika:] Kagayaki wa kokoro kara_

_[Ruby/Hanamaru/Yoshiko:] Afure_

_[You/Riko:] Dashite_

_[Dia/Kanan/Mari:] Motto_

_[Everyone:] Saki no keshiki nozomunda_

_[Everyone:] Ah! yatto te ni shita MIRAI TICKET kazashite...!_

Then, Kanan ended the song with another short guitar solo before the song closed out. Then, where there had once been the band singing "la la la" to the melody of the song, Riko went back to the piano and played several short notes. For these nights at Mexico City, the band would jump into an extra song added into the opening set. Maki had taught Riko the song, which was sung in its original pitch, and Riko had taught everyone else in Aqours it as well. Then, she sang.

_Tonight... I'm gonna have myself... A real good time..._

_I feel aliiiiiiiiive... And the world... (Sing it!)_

She then let the audience take over the song.

_[Audience:] Turning inside out, yeah... And floating around..._

_[Audience:] In ecstasy, so don't stop me now..._

Then, Riko jumped in again.

_Don't stop me, 'cause I'm_

_[Everyone but Riko:] Having a good time, having a good time!_

Now, the whole band joined in instrumentally.

_I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky_

_Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity_

_I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva_

_I'm gonna go, go, go_

_There's no stopping me_

_[Riko/Chika/You:] I'm burning through the sky, yeah!_

_[Riko/Chika/You:] Two hundred degrees, that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit!_

_[Riko/Chika/You:] I'm traveling at the speed of light!_

_I wanna make a [Riko/Chika/You:] Supersonic man out of you!_

_[Everyone:] Don't stop me now!_

_I'm having such a good time! I'm having a ball!_

_[Everyone:] Don't stop me now!_

_If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call!_

_[Everyone but Riko:] Don't stop me now! ([Riko: 'Cause I'm having a good time!)_

_[Everyone but Riko:] Don't stop me now! ([Riko: Yes, I'm having a good time!)_

_I don't wanna stop at all!_

_I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars_

_On a collision course_

_I am a satellite, I'm out of control_

_I am a sex machine ready to reload_

_Like an atom bomb about to_

_[Everyone:] Oh oh oh oh oh explode!_

_[Riko/Chika/You:] I'm burning through the sky, yeah!_

_[Riko/Chika/You:] Two hundred degrees, that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit!_

_[Riko/Chika/You:] I'm traveling at the speed of light!_

_I wanna make a [Riko/Chika/You:] Supersonic woman of you!_

Riko then got up from the piano, bottomless mic stand in hand as she danced around and sang.

_Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Hey, hey, hey!_

_Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Ooh, ooh, ooh!_

_Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Have a good time, good time!_

_Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Ooh, ooh, ooh!_

_Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Hey, hey, hey!_

_Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Ooh, ooh, ooh!_

_Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Have a good time, good time!_

_Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Don't stop me! Ohhhhh yeah!_

As Riko returned to her piano, Dia played the guitar solo of the song perfectly. As she strummed away, the crowd clapped along almost in unison, having sung along to every word of the song.

_[Riko/Chika/You:] I'm burning through the sky, yeah!_

_[Riko/Chika/You:] Two hundred degrees, that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit!_

_[Riko/Chika/You:] I'm traveling at the speed of light!_

_I wanna make a [Riko/Chika/You:] Supersonic man out of you!_

_[Everyone:] Don't stop me now!_

_I'm having such a good time! I'm having a ball!_

_[Everyone:] Don't stop me now!_

_If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call!_

_[Everyone but Riko:] Don't stop me now! ([Riko: 'Cause I'm having a good time!)_

_[Everyone but Riko:] Don't stop me now! ([Riko: Yes, I'm having a good time!)_

_[Everyone:] I don't wanna stop at all!_

_La la la la la laaa, la la laaa laaa, laaa la la laaa laaa laaa laaa,_

_Laaa la laaa, laaa la laaa laaa laaa laaa..._

Then, the song closed out to cheers and applause as Riko stood up and addressed the audience. "That was Don't Stop Me Now, by Queen! You can thank my wonderful girlfriend, Nishikino Maki, for teaching us that song! Now, this... This next song is another Guilty Kiss composition that we expanded for the whole band to join in. This is a number called Guilty Kiss, Guilty Night!" She then snapped her right fingers four times into the microphone to signal the beat of the song as Kanan grabbed an acoustic guitar. The song started with Ruby and Hanamaru on the drums and Kanan on the acoustic guitar before the rest of the band joined in.

_[Riko:] Kiss! Tobashite tsuresaritai kara! Henji wa iranai no mondou muyou no!_

_[Yoshiko:] Kiss! Ki no nai soburi wa uso desho? Sono me ga atsui ttemou shitteru yo!_

_[Mari:] Yodaitan na no wa umaretsuki na no sa! Sou iu koto ni shite okeba!_

_[Riko:] Honnou makase sore shika nai ne saa kocchi kite?_

_[Riko:] You're calling, calling!_

For the chorus, the whole band sang along, with the audience taking over some lines as well.

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [All:] Yume mitai na one night!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [All:] Odori akasou yo!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [All:] Subete wa sugisatte kuno dakara koso kirei sa!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [All:] Yume mitai na one night!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [All:] Odori akasou yo!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [All:] Subete ga sugisatta ato watashitachi fall in love!_

_[Audience:] Yes! Yes!_

_[Guilty Kiss:] Guilty night! Guilty kiss! Guilty night! Guilty kiss!_

_[Mari:] Touch! Kokoro ni tsumi na itazura! Aizu no mabataki inginburei na!_

_[Yoshiko:] Touch! Wana yori mahou to itte mite! Sono hou ga yamu wo enai kanji suru yo!_

_[Riko:] Shinken na no ni fuzakete misetari sou iu koto ga tanoshii no!_

_[Yoshiko:] Anshin yori wa sono hou ga ii ne saa kocchi kite?_

_[Yoshiko:] You're dancing, dancing!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Night! [All:] Terasaretai starlight!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Night! [All:] Subete wasurete!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Night! [All:] Deai no imi wa nan daro? Wakaru made shaking my song!_

_[Riko:] Sasowareta garu nante_

_[Yoshiko:] Toomawari shinai kara_

_[Mari:] Tsuyo sugiru you ni mieru kamo oh yeah!_

_[Riko:] Aitai toki ni ai ni ikitai passion! ([Yoshiko:] Tsumori de ite yo)_

_[Riko:] Wagamama dakedo aishite destiny ([Yoshiko:] Kaeru ki wa nai no)_

_[Mari:] Aitai toki ni ai ni ikitai yo osaetari shinai! Hoshii mono wa ubaitai! (SING IT!)_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss!_

Yoshiko then played an extended solo on the keyboard. Whereas on the studio version the solo lasted for maybe half a minute, here, Yoshiko let it rip for a full minute. Then, the song started back up again.

_[Mari:] You're calling, calling!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [All:] Yume mitai na one night!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [All:] Odori akasou yo!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [All:] Subete wa sugisatte kuno dakara koso kirei sa!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [Riko:] Yume mitai na one night! One night!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [Yoshiko:] Odori akasou yo!_

_[Audience:] Guilty Kiss! [Mari:] Subete ga sugisatta ato watashitachi fall in love!_

_[Audience:] Yes! Yes!_

_[Guilty Kiss:] Guilty kiss! Guilty night! Guilty kiss! Guilty night!_

Then, the song ended to thunderous applause from the impressed audience. What helped the audience in terms of knowing the song was the fact that Guilty Kiss, Guilty Night had just been re-issued as a single worldwide, to much success. Riko addressed the audience with, "Thank you! You guys rock!" She then bowed. "Now, we are approaching the final two songs in our set, and then after that, µ's will take the stage after a short break! Say, Dia, do you know what song is up next?"

"As a matter of fact," Dia replied. "I do. This is called Mijuku Dreamer!" She then played the opening riff on her guitar as Kanan and Chika put away their guitars to grab mic stands while Riko went to the piano.

_[Kanan:] Itsumo soba ni ite mo tsutaekirenai omoide kokoro maigo ni naru namida_

_[Chika:] Wasurete shimaou_

_[You:] Utatte miyou_

_[Kanan/Chika/You:] Issho ni ne_

_[Dia:] Kotoba dake ja tarinai sou kotoba sura tarinai yue ni surechigatte hanarete_

_[Ruby:] Shimatta koto ga_

_[Hanamaru:] Kanashikatta no zutto_

_[Dia/Ruby/Hanamaru:] Ki ni natteta_

Then, for about half a minute, Mari segued into the next section of the song on her guitar, while Dia backed her.

_[Mari:] Wakatte hoshii to negau kimochi ga tomaranakute kitto kizutsuketa ne soredemo_

_[Riko:] Akiramekirenai_

_[Yoshiko:] Jibun no wagamama ima wa_

_[Mari/Riko/Yoshiko:] Kakusanai kara_

_[Mari/Dia/Kanan:] Chikara o awasete yume no umi o oyoide yukou yo  
_

_[Chika:] Kyou no umi o_

For a few seconds, the stage went quiet. Then, a blast of pyrotechnics signaled the beginning of the chorus.

_[All:] Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai demo tanoshiku naru hazu dayo_

_[All:] Minna to nara norikoerareru kore kara nanda ne otagai ganbarou yo_

_[All:] Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai demo tanoshiku shitai honto ni_

_[All:] Minna to nara murishitaku naru Seichou shitai na mada mada mijuku dreamer  
_

_[Mari/Dia/Kanan:] Yatto hitotsu ni nare sou na bokutachi dakara_

_[All but 3Y:] Honne butsukeau toko kara hajimeyou_

_[All:] Sono toki mieru hikari ga aru hazu sa_

A guitar solo by Dia followed the chorus. As in several other songs, the band let the solo rip for a little while longer live. Once the solo, ended, the band joined in again vocally.

_[All:] Kono mama issho ni yume no umi o oyoide yukou yo_

_[Chika:] Kyou no umi o_

_[All:] Arashi ga kitara hareru made asobou utaeba kitto tanoshii hazu sa  
_

_[All:] Hitori janai norikoerareru fushigi nakurai kowaku wa nakunatte_

_[All:] Arashi ga kitara hareru made asobou sore mo tanoshimi da ne honto sa_

_[All:] Hitori janai muri shinaide yo tasukeaeba ii waku waku mijuku dreamer_

_[Mari/Dia/Kanan:] Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai demo tanoshiku naru hazu dayo_

_[Mari/Dia/Kanan:] Minna to nara norikoerareru kore kara nanda ne otagai_

_[Audience:] Ganbarou yo!_

_[All:] Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai demo tanoshiku shitai honto ni_

_[All:] Minna to nara murishitaku naru Seichou shitai na mada mada mijuku dreamer_

Once the song closed out, Chika said to the audience, "Thank you! Thank you! Arigatou! Gracias!" She then bowed. "Now, for the final song of the night, we are going to do the very first song the modern Aqours as a group ever sang live. This is a number that means a lot to me, and it means a lot to all of us. This is called Daisuki Dattara Daijoubu!" The audience then cheered.

_[2Y:] Kirari! Tokimeki ga! Umareta nda to!_

_[2Y:] Ki ga tsuita wake wa me no mae no kimi datte koto sa!_

For this song, Mari provided the primary guitar, while Kanan backed her up. Dia took Riko's spot on the piano, while Yoshiko took You's spot on the bass, allowing Riko and You to join Chika.

_[2Y:] Yatte mitai!_

_[You:] Ugokidashita kokoro wa mada mayoi o kakaete yurete iru yo  
_

_[Riko:] Soredemo sutaato shita no wa_

_[2Y:] Unmei kana_

_[Chika:] Kimochi ga tsunagarisou nanda_

_[You:] Shiranai koto bakari nanimo kamo ga ([Chika:] Doushitara ii no?)_

_[Riko:] Soredemo kitai de ashi ga karui yo ([You:] Janpu da!)_

_[Chika:] Ondosa nante itsuka keshichaette ne genki dayo genki o dashite iku yo_

_[2Y:] Kirari! Tokimeki ga! Umareta nda to!_

_[2Y:] Ki ga tsuita toki ni ([All but 2Y: Ita nda you!) Me no mae ni kimi ga ita_

_[2Y:] Kirari! Atsuku naru jibun mitsuketa yo_

_[Chika:] Kono hikari wa ([You/Riko:] Kirei da yo!) Motto kirari! ([You/Riko:] Mabushii kibou!) Daisuki ga areba_

_[2Y:] Daijobu sa_

_[2Y:] Yatte miyou!_

_[Riko:] Kimeta no wa doushite ka o setsumei dekiru kotoba wa tsutanai kedo_

_[You:] Tonikaku sutaato sasenakya_

_[2Y:] Koukai shichau_

_[Chika:] Muriyari tobidase nantoka shiyou_

_[Riko:] Keikaku wa kore kara doko ikou kana ([Chika:] Dare to ikeru kana?)_

_[You:] Ima made mita koto nai yume no suteeji ([Riko: Chansu da!)_

_[Chika:] Shirigomi nante suru no yamechaette sa yuuki dayo yuuki wa bannou hai pawaa_

_[2Y:] Pikari! Aidea ga hirameitara_

_[2Y:] Hirogete mitai yo ne ([Audience: Ookiku!) Kimi datte mushi dekinai_

_[2Y:] Pikari! Omoitsuki demo tanoshikute_

_[Riko:] Hora ikioi ([Chika:] Tsuita hazu sa!)_

_[Riko:] Dakara pikari ([You:] Saranaru yabou!)_

_[Riko:] Daisuki de itsumo_

_[2Y:] Daijobu sa!_

The rest of the band then jammed for about a minute as the audience clapped along and cheered loudly. Chika shouted out, "Yeah!" The audience then repeated it back. "Yeaaah!" Again, the audience repeated it back. "Alriiiiight! Ehhhhh-doh! Eh-doh! Yeah!" Chika then laughed and said, "What are you, mimes?"

_[Chika:] Shiranai koto bakari nanimo kamo ga_

_[Chika:] Soredemo kitai de ashi ga karui yo  
_

_[Riko:] Ondosa nante itsuka keshichaette ne_

_[You:] Genki dayo genki o dashite iku yo_

_[Chika:] Kirari!_

_[2Y:] Pikari! Tokimeki ga! Umareta nda to!_

_[2Y:] Ki ga tsuita toki ni ([All but 2Y: Ita nda you!) Me no mae ni kimi ga ita_

_[2Y:] Kirari! Atsuku naru jibun mitsuketa yo_

_[You:] Kono hikari wa ([Chika/Riko:] Kirei da yo!) Motto kirari! ([Chika/Riko:] Mabushii kibou!) Daisuki ga areba_

_[2Y:] Daijobu sa!_

Then, once the song ended, a final blast of pyrotechnics lit up the stage. The entire band bowed as Chika yelled out, "Thank you! Gracias! See you soon! Get ready for the next act, folks! You don't wanna miss it!" The band then left the stage as the crowd cheered.

As Aqours came backstage, Maki met up with Riko and told her as they embraced, "That was excellent as always, Riko." The two then had a quick kiss.

Riko laughed and replied, "Thanks, Maki-chan. We got them all warmed up for you out there."

Meanwhile, as Eli and You tuned their bass guitars, You was texting someone. Eli noticed and asked her, "Hey, who are you texting?"

"Hachiro," You replied. "Just told him about the concert. Soon, once this tour is done, we'll be back together again in Numazu." She then blushed as she smiled. "Ahhh... I got lucky with him. I don't know why I even broke up with him after my first year at Uranohoshi, only for us to get back together later." She then laughed. "Say, how did you and Yaroslav meet, Eli-san?"

"We took a statistics class and a music theory class together at Moscow University," Eli explained to You. "I helped him study for a few tests in stats, and one night, before he was about to leave my dorm, things... Yeah..." They both then laughed. "Let's just say that it's a good thing we banged on the floor instead of on my rickety-as-hell dorm bed, because that would have broke from how hard we went at it at times that night. Say, how did you and Hachiro meet?"

* * *

 

_**April 26, 2016** _

"Really, Hisaya-kun?" A disinterested and bored Hachiro looked at his phone as he and his friend walked through Uchiura. "We're going over to Uranohoshi to hit on girls?"

"C'mon, man," Hisaya, his friend, replied. "It's an all-girls' school. There's bound to be some success, right?"

Then, as they walked, they noticed a grey-haired girl waiting at a bus stop. She looked to be a first-year, considering the color of the tie on her uniform. As Hachiro and Hisaya walked over, Hachiro suddenly dropped his phone on the ground, causing a loud cracking sound to emanate through the immediate vicinity. "Oh, for fuck's sake." Hachiro was now even more annoyed as Hisaya tried to stifle a laugh.

The girl noticed the phone and ran over to it, picking it up. She said to Hachiro, "Looks like your screen just got cracked. Say, how new is this iPhone?"

"Only a month old," Hachiro replied. "It's an iPhone 7, and, of course, I broke it already."

"Not really," the girl said, inspecting the minor damage. "It still functions, and the cracks aren't too bad." She then looked up at the two boys. "Oh, my apologies." She then handed the phone to Hachiro and bowed, saying, "My name is Watanabe You. I'm a first-year at Uranohoshi Girl's High School."

Hachiro and Hisaya quickly bowed as well. Hachiro said, "I'm Akiyama Hachiro. Me and my friend, Kizuna Hisaya, are third-year students at Shiritsu High School."

"Nice to met you," You replied. "So, you two go to the public high school around here? I was going to go to a public high school back in downtown Numazu, but since my friend Chika was going to go to Uranohoshi, and my grades were very high, I decided to go to there instead."

"Ah," Hachiro said. "How do you like it so far?"

"Pretty good," You replied as she noticed that Hisaya was walking away. "Uhhh..."

Hachiro turned around and asked, "Hey, Hisaya-kun, where are you going?!"

"I gotta run back home," Hisaya replied. "I'll catch you later!"

After Hachiro waved back at him, he told You, "He's... A bit odd... He actually wanted to drag me out to your school to hit on girls."

You laughed and replied. "Wow... What, was he not good enough for the girls at Shiritsu? If that's the case, he definitely won't make it with girls at Uranohoshi." They both then laughed.

* * *

 

"After that," You continued with Eli. "We traded numbers and began talking. Around June, we began dating officially. Around then, we kissed, and then, in early August, we had sex for the first time. We were both virgins beforehand, so it was a bit awkward at first. We broke up in March of 2017, and started dating again after Christmas in 2017."

"Interesting backstory to your relationship," Eli replied as she checked the time on her phone. "Well, looks like I'll be taking the stage pretty soon."

"Knock their socks off," You told her. "You got this."

 


	12. Our Turn

Kotori got ready as the band prepared behind stage. She loaded up the A Day At The Races Overture on her computer and began playing it. As it played, the crowd began to cheer as they awaited µ's' entrance onto the stage. As it transitioned into the Shepard Tone segment, white smoke from a smoke machine triggered by Kotori filled the stage. For this concert, they wore their Bokura wa Ima no Naka de outfits, arguably their most well-know by now.

Then, Nozomi, began playing the guitar riff of the intro song as the tape ended. Once she finished the first bar of the riff, a blast of pyrotechnics and lights illuminated the stage as the whole band came into view and began playing. A simultaneous clash of cymbals by Hanayo was followed by Maki emerging from the smoke. As always, the rest of the band then joined in.

_Get your party gown! Get your pigtail down! Get your heart beatin', baby!_

_I got my timing right! I got my act all tight! It's gonna be tonight, my little schoolbabe!_

_Your mama says you don't, and your daddy says you won't, and I'm burning up inside!_

_Ain't no way I'm gonna lose out this time! Oh no!_

Then, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Lock your daddy outta doors! I don't need him nosing around!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

Maki then took over again, singing the next verse as she pointed at the audience.

_"You're such a dirty louse! Go get outta my house!"_

_That's all I ever get from your... Aaaagh!_

_Family ties! In fact I don't think I ever heard a single little civil word from those guys!_

_But you know I don't give a light! I'm gonna make out alright!_

_I've got a sweetheart hand 1o put a stop to all that grousin' an' snipin'!_

Once again, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Take your little brother swimming with a brick! That's alright!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Or you)_

_Ain't! No! Friend! Of! Mine! (Maki: Ain't no friend of mine!)_

Then, Umi began playing the guitar solo of the song as the spotlights shifted onto her away from Maki, who danced around on stage to the solo. As this happened, Maki shouted to the audience, "Buenos dias, Mexico! Como estas?!" She got cheers in response.

_Your momma and your daddy gonna plague me 'til I die!_

_Why can't they understand I'm just a peace lovin' guy?! Ooooooh!_

For the final chorus, the whole band joined in again.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Get your big, big, big, big daddy outta doors!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

_(Maki: All your love tonight!)_

Umi, Nozomi, and Nico then continued playing their guitars as Maki danced around on stage and said, "Awwwwww yeah!" Then, the guitars ceased as Hanayo did a drum fill before closing out the song with the guitars. Finally, a final clash of cymbals signalled the end of the rocker as the stage went dark again. The crowd cheered, impressed by the song. Honoka then addressed the audience, saying to them, "Are you ready for some rock and roll?!" The crowd cheered in agreement. "Well good, because we got a lot more from where that last song came from! Now, before anything else, how about we go back to 2012?! This is called Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE!"

Then, Umi began playing on the guitar again. After Nico and Nozomi joined in, the song picked up and the whole band began singing. Maki went to the piano for the entirety of this song.

_[All:] Tashika na ima yori mo, atarashii yume tsukamaetai!_

_[All:] Daitan ni tobidaseba! O.K. my life!_

_[All:] Nozomi wa ookiku ne, se nobi datteba takaku tooku!_

_[All:] Mabushii ashita dakishime ni yukou!_

_[All:] Zenbu kanaeyou!_

_[Eli/Kotori:] Sou da yo shinjiru dake de!_

_[Honoka:] Gungun mae ni susumu yo!_

_[All:] Kimi ga!_

Then, the chorus began.

_Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!_

_[All:] Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!_

_[Honoka]: Nando demo akiramezu ni! Sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_[All:] Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!_

_[All:] Atsui mama de habataiteku!_

_[All:] Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_

_[All:] Yuzuranai hitomi ga... daisuki!_

_[Honoka]: Daisuki!_

Then, the song moved into the second verse.

_[All:] Naite mo sora no iro kawaranai shi aoi mama de!_

_[All:] Ima sugu ni, aitai ne! O.K. Sunshine!_

_[All:] Narande kanjitai rikutsu ja naku soba ni itara!_

_[All:] Kimochi ga gutto chikadzuku imi ga sugu ni tsutawaru yo!_

_(Eli/Kotori): Sou da ne dare mo ga hitotsu!_

_(Honoka): Motteru yuuki no kakera wa!_

_[All:] Kimi to! Issho datteba zutto ne!_

_[All:]_ _Omoitsuki de ii kara oikakete!_

_[All:]  Kokoro odoru basho wo sagasou!_

_(Eli): Tsumazuite okiagatte! (Kotori): Mitsumeaeru ureshii bouken!_

_[All:]  Egao wa doko made todoku kana!_

_[All:]  Yakusoku to ka iranai kedo!_

_[All:]  Itsu made mo kimi to itai!  
_

_[All:]  Kakenukete issho ni... Kirakira! Kirakira!_

As always, Maki got up from the piano and began to do call-and-response with the audience alongside Rin. By now, this section had been lengthened.

_(Maki): Kirakira! (Audience: Kirakira!)_

_[All:] Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai!_

_(Rin): Daisuki! (Audience: Daisuki!)_

_[All:] Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai!_

_[Maki:] Yeah! ([Audience:] Yeah!) [Maki:] Yeeah! ([Audience:] Yeeah!) [Maki:] Yeeeah! ([Audience:] Yeeeah!)_

_[Rin:] Okay, okay! ([Audience: Okay, okay!]) [Rin:] Alright, alright! ([Audience:] Alright, alright!)_

_[Maki:] Ooooooooh yeah! ([Audience: Ooooooooh yeah!)_

Nozomi then began playing a guitar solo as the audience clapped rapidly to the song, before the whole band joined in again. Maki also returned to the piano.

_(Honoka): Ohhhhh! Let's go!_

_[All:] Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!_

_[All:] Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!_

_[All:] Nando demo akiramezu ni sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_[All:] Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!  
_

_[All:] Atsui mama de habataiteku!  
_

_[All:] Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_  

_[All:] Yuzuranai hitomi ga... Daisuki! Daisuki!_

Once the song closed out, the whole audience cheered loudly. Some had even brought vuvuzelas with them and blew them loudly. Honoka then greeted the crowd with, "Buenos dias, Mexico! Como estas?!" She got a round of cheers in response. "Good, good. Now, I'm gonna let Maki take over the reins for a bit. Hey, Maki!"

Maki addressed the crowd with her mic by saying, "Good evening, all you beautiful people! We have a lot of wonderful music for you all tonight. Say, anyone here like Queen?" Instantly, they were met with a loud choir of cheers in agreement. "Wonderful, because we got a few songs from them, too. Hey, Rin, mind introducing the next song for us?"

"Sure thing," Rin replied on stage as the crowd cheered. Many in the crowd who had light sticks switched them to orange for Rin. "Now, this next one is a song off the new album. It's in fact titled after the new album. This is called Shove It!"

Nozomi then began the song immediately with a heavy and rather upbeat riff for a bar before the rest of the band joined in. **(Song translated into English entirely. First verse and first chorus are in Japanese, second verse and second chorus are in English, and the third verse is in Japanese, while the third chorus is in English.)**

_[Rin:] A deal's a deal you said, so we didn't complain_

_[Rin:] But then you took your words and threw them in the trash_

_[Rin:] You broke every promise, you were so damn vain_

_[Rin:] But now we are free, and we've made the dash_

_[Rin:] Away, from, your, claws! Away, from, your, filthy hands!_

The song then jumped into the first chorus.

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] Go take your plan and shove it 'cause we don't need it_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] You sucked our money away, and gave us nothing at all_

_[All:] You, need, help! [Maki:] Oh yes, you do!_

This time, Rin went to the piano while Maki got up and sang her verse in English. The chorus was repeated afterwards, but also in English.

_[Maki:] You talk like you're some big shot who knows everything_

_[Maki:] But let me remind you that you only saw success because of us_

_[Maki:] Without us, you're done! Go take your meddling elsewhere_

_[Maki:] So be sure to turn the lights off and kiss my ass goodbye_

_[Maki:] Don't, fall, for, them! They, only, lie!_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] Go take your plan and shove it 'cause we don't need it_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] You sucked our money away, and gave us nothing at all_

_[All:] You, need, help! [Maki:] Oh yes, you do!_

For the third verse, Maki returned to the piano while Honoka sang the third verse in Japanese, while the third chorus was in English.

 _[Honoka:]_ _Let me tell you, you almost had even me fooled_

_[Honoka:] I really thought you were going to be a help to us_

_[Honoka:] But I guess I was proven wrong, you blood-sucking leech_

_[Honoka:] No more will I let my guard down like that again_

_[Honoka:] I hope, you've, made, peace, with, yourself!_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] Go take your plan and shove it 'cause we don't need it_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] You sucked our money away, and gave us nothing at all_

_[All:] You, need, help! [Maki:] Oh yes, you do!_

The song then ended with a guitar solo by Umi that lasted for several bars before Maki ended it with one line in English.

_[Maki:] (Spoken) AND GOOD RIDDANCE!_

The crowd cheered loudly. Maki said to them, "Thank you! And no, that was not addressed to you, the audience. Honoka will talk about it later on. Anyways, I wanna turn it over to Nico Yazawa, an important member of the band. She is an excellent guitarist, and in fact, she taught Nozomi and Umi a while back, so I wanna give a round of applause to her." After the crowd clapped in response, Nico took to the front.

"Thank you," Nico began before she cleared her throat. "Indeed, I taught Nozomi and Umi the guitar shortly after I graduated from Otonokizaka. Now, this next one is another new song. I wrote it, in fact. It features me, Eli, and Nozomi on vocals. And, uhhh, it's called 4 MINUTES! I hope you enjoy it, because I love playing it on the guitar myself." She then began with a soft riff that transitioned into a hard riff after two bars. Backing her was a chorus of synths from Kotori. **(Verses are in Japanese. Choruses are in English.)**

_[Nico:] 4 minutes... 4 minutes is all I need_

_[Nico:] Just give me 4 minutes, and I'll be ready_

_[Nico:] We're gonna tear up this town, and get right to it_

_[Nico:] No need for a detour, no, that's alright!_

_[Nico:] C'mon, now, you don't wanna keep waiting_

_[Nico:] Time ain't exactly our best friend here_

_[Nico:] Just take me to the fun and let the fun take me_

_[Nico:] We're gonna have a hell of a time, just let us be!_

Then, Nico played a short solo for several bars as a bridge between the first verse and the first chorus.

_[Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] 4 minutes may be short, but it's more than enough!_

_[Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] No need for any more, or else I've had enough!_

_[Nozomi:] Trust me, trust me, I know what I'm doing!_

_[Eli:] I'm not out to hurt you, I'm just here to have fun!_

As a bridge between the first chorus and the second verse, Kotori played a synth solo for several bars. Nico had written the song to heavily feature both the guitar and the synthesizer, giving it a rather full sound.

_[Eli:] 4 minutes... 4 minutes is all I need_

_[Nozomi:] Just give me 4 minutes, and I'll be ready_

_[Eli:] I'll be sure to make it safe, and we'll be fine_

_[Nozomi:] In 4 minutes, oh, you will be mine tonight!_

Nozomi then played a longer solo than Nico had done. Her solo was all over the place, and excited the crowd. Once it was done, Hanayo did a short drum solo before Kotori played a long synth solo, with Umi backing her primarily. Her solo was accompanied by a light show behind her she also set off from her console. Then, Eli did a short bass solo to bridge over into the second and final chorus.

_[Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] 4 minutes may be short, but it's more than enough!_

_[Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] No need for any more, or else I've had enough!_

_[Nozomi:] Trust me, trust me, I know what I'm doing!_

_[Eli:] I'm not out to hurt you, I'm just here to have fun!_

After the song ended, the crowd cheered. Eli said to them, "Thank you! Thank you!"

Maki then emerged from the shadows and sat down at her piano. She said to the crowd through the piano's mic, "Alright, now, this next song is actually the first original song I ever wrote. God, that was so fucking long ago, pardon my french. That was like, what, 2011-2012? Anyways, it's called Aishiteru Banzai, and if you followed us in our high school days, you'll probably recognize it." This rendition of the song began with only Maki and her piano at first, followed by a short pause before the rest of the band joined in.

_[Maki:] Aishiteru banzai! Koko de yokatta!_

_[Maki:] Watashitachi no ima ga koko ni aru!_

_[All:] Aishiteru banzai! Hajimatta bakari!_

_[All:] Ashita mo yoroshiku ne mada goal janai!_

The song was noticeably softer than the others, with Nico trading in her electric guitar for an acoustic one.

_[Honoka:] Waratte yo kanashinara fuki to basou yo_

_[Kotori:] Waraetara kawaru keshiki harema ga nozoku_

_[Hanayo:] Fuan demo shiawase e to tsunagaru michi ga_

_[Nico:] Miete kita yo na aozora_

_[Maki/Rin/Nico:] Tokidoki ame ga furu kedo mizu ga nakucha taihen_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Umi/Eli/Nozomi/Hanayo:] Kawaicha dameda yo minna no yume no ki yo sodate_

_[All:] Daisuki da banzai! Makenai yuuki!_

_[All:] Watashitachi wa ima wo tanoshimou_

_[All:] Daisuki da banzai! Ganbarerukara!_

_[All:] Kinou ni te wo futte hora mae muite_

_[Rin:] Susunde yo kurushikute mo tonari ni iteyo_

_[Eli:] Susundara moeru taiyou higashi wo terasu_

_[Nozomi:] Mayotteta kotae ga nai saki e no michi wa_

_[Umi:] Daremo shiranai ienai_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Eli:] Totsuzen arashi no naka e ochiru gin no hikari_

_[Umi/Rin/Hanayo/Maki/Nico/Nozomi:] Obiecha dame da yo minna no yume no ki wa tsuyoi_

The second chorus was heavier than the first one, with Nozomi and Umi joining in on the electric guitar.

_[All:] Aishiteru banzai! Koko de yokatta!_

_[All:] Watashitachi no ima ga koko ni aru!_

_[All:] Aishiteru banzai! Hajimatta bakari!_

_[All:] Ashita mo yoroshiku ne mada goal janai!_

As a bridge, Kotori used both the violin and organ functions on her synth to form a solo before turning all the lights towards Maki on her piano. At the start of the third chorus, Maki jumped up from the piano and joined Honoka and Rin at the front of the stage with her mic in hand.

_[Maki:] Tokidoki ame ga furunda kaze de miki ga yureru_

_[All:] Isshoni ikunda minna no yume no ki yo sodate_

_[All:] Daisuki da banzai! Makenai yuuki!_

_[All:] Watashitachi wa ima wo tanoshimou_

_[All:] Daisuki da banzai! Ganbarerukara!_

_[All:] Kinou ni te wo futte hora mae muite_

Once the third chorus ended, Maki returned to her piano and sang the chorus again by herself, with, again, only her piano accompanying her.

_[Maki:] Aishiteru banzai! Koko de yokatta!_

_[Maki:] Watashitachi no ima ga koko ni aru!_

_[Maki:] Aishiteru banzai! Hajimatta bakari!_

_[Maki:] Ashita mo yoroshiku ne mada goal janai!_

Then, the song closed out to cheers and applause. Maki got up and said to the audience, "Thank you! Arigatou! Gracias! That's always a wonderful song to play on the piano, let me tell you. Now, this next one was originally a three-person song featuring me, Umi, and Eli. Let me tell you, we considered a subunit like that, but we scrapped it, and this song was sadly the only thing that came of it. It's called Soldier Game." For this song, Honoka played the piano in Maki's place.

_[Maki:] Three, two, one, zero! Koko de tojo_

_[Maki:] Mitenasai watashi no honki_

_[Maki:] Suriru to biishiki de katsu no yo kanarazu_

_[Umi:] Yasashi ge na kotoba sasayaku_

_[Umi:] Nise no kawaii sa janakute_

_[Eli:] Tsumetaku tsuyoku mamoranakya_

_[Eli:] Taisetsuna monotachi [Eli/Umi/Maki:] Yowaki monotachi_

_[All:] Watashi wa dare desho? Shiritaku natta deshou?_

_[Umi:] Naraba koi kamo_

_[All:] Watashi no naka ni wa himitsu ga aru to shite_

_[Maki:] Sore wo kimi wa [All:] dou suru no_

_[All:] It's a soldier game_

_[All:] Mata aeta toki kikou ka na_

The band replaced the trumpets on the original song with extra guitars when performing it live, since obviously they had no access to them on stage.

_[Eli:] Three, two, one, zero! Tsugi no sakusen_

_[Eli:] Mitenasai watashi wa honki_

_[Eli:] Shigunaru uketomete mirai wo itadaku_

_[Maki:] Hohoemi yori mo amai no wa_

_[Maki:] Uso ga maneita namida yo_

_[Umi:] Hakana sa moro sa kaku shiteru_

_[Umi:] Taisetsu na mono na no [Umi/Maki/Eli:] Yowaki mono na no_

_[All:] Watashi to kuru desho? Furetaku natta deshou?_

_[Eli:] Sude ni koi da yo_

_[All:] Watashi to itsuka wa tatakaubeki aiteSore_

_[Umi:] Sore wa kimi no [All:] Risei kamo_

_[All:] I'm soldier heart!_

_[All:] Makenai kara ne it's a soldier game_

_[Maki/Umi/Eli:] Ima ga shobu yo!_

_[Eli:] Watashi wa dare desho? Shiritaku natta deshou?_

_[Maki:] Naraba koi kamo_

_[Umi:] Watashi no naka ni wa himitsu ga aru to shite_

_[Maki:] Sore wo kimi wa?_

_[All:] Watashi to kuru desho? Furetaku natta deshou?_

_[Eli:] Sude ni koi da yo_

_[All:] Watashi to itsuka wa tatakaubeki aiteSore_

_[Umi:] Sore wa kimi no [All:] Risei kamo_

_[All:] I'm soldier heart!_

_[All:] Makenai kara ne it's a soldier game_

Then, the song closed out following a short outro. Maki addressed the cheering crowd with, "Thank you! God, I really wish we did more with that idea." Eli and Umi nodded and gave a thumbs up to Maki in response. "By the way, dear lord, I think we forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Maki Nishikino, pianist and vocalist!"

"I'm Honoka Kousaka, group founder, vocalist, and a pianist!"

"I'm Umi Sonoda, guitarist and founding member!"

"I'm Kotori Minami, synth player, keyboardist, stage FX, stage lights, founding member, you know the drill. I do a lot!" She then laughed.

"I'm Rin Hoshizora, vocalist and pianist!"

"I'm Hanayo Koizumi, drummer of the band!"

"I'm Nozomi Toujou, guitarist!"

"I'm Nico Yazawa, guitarist and guitar teacher!"

"I'm Eli Ayase, bassist!"

"Alrighty then," Maki continued. "Now, how did you all like Aqours?" The whole crowd cheered loudly in response. "Good, good. They're all a great bunch of girls to work with. I'm actually dating one of them right now, in fact." She then laughed. "Now, this song is a bit more on the funk or electronic side. If you got a problem with it, eh, piss off. Any of you have a problem with funk?" She got a chorus of "no's" from the crowd. "Good, because if you do, you're gonna have to get used to it. This is called Shangri-La Shower!" As Maki said, the song made hravy use of the synths, though the band did make the song more rock-like to an extent.

_[All:] Shangri-la on stage!_

_[All:] Shangri-la from stage, on stage!_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Hanayo:] Kimi no kokoro ga wakaru mou tomerarenai ima ga subete_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Hanayo:] Hane ga haeta you na jiyuu wo zutto motometeta_

_[Maki/Nico/Eli:] Watashi no mune ga sawagu kodou tokku ni PIIKU wo koeteru_

_[Maki/Nico/Eli:] Dakara motto ne tanoshimou yo_

_[Maki/Nico/Eli:] Shangri-la shower!_

_[Nozomi:] Natsu wa minna no nekki de jirijiri_

_[Rin:] Koe ga daitan na fanfare kanaderu_

_[Umi:] Tsukurou ne! shinki no [Nozomi/Rin/Umi:] Suteki na omoide wo..._

_[Honoka/Kotori/Hanayo/Maki/Nico/Eli:] I wanna story!_

Then, the band jumped into the chorus.

_[Audience:] Festival! [All:] Owaranai kiseki wa [Audience:] Festival! [All:] Watashitachi no yume [Audience:] Hey!_

_[All:] Datte itsumademo dancing dancing! Dance to the beat!_

_[Audience:] Festival! [All:] Owaritakunai kara [Audience:] Festival! [All:] Odori tsuzukete_

_[All:] Kimi wa kimi no shitai koto wo oshiete yo ne! Say yes, come on!_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Hanayo/Maki/Nico/Eli:] Shangri-la on stage! [Nozomi/Rin/Umi:] Tashikameru hikarino shower wow-wo!_

_[Nozomi/Rin/Umi:] Shangri-la on stage! [Nico/Maki/Eli:] Shangri-la from stage, on stage!_

_[Nozomi/Rin/Umi:] Kimi no hageshisa todoku sou tsunagaritai ima no subete_

_[Nozomi/Rin/Umi:] Mitsume atta shunkan atsui uta ga narihibiku_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Hanayo:] Watashi no naka no hoshi wa tsuyoi ganbou nandemo kanaeru_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Hanayo:] fushigi power de moriagare_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Hanayo:] Shangri-la shower!_

_[Maki:] Natsu wa minna to isshoni wakuwaku_

_[Nico:] Daremo asu no koto wa shiranai_

_[Eli:] Asobou ne! Light yo [Nico/Maki/Eli:] Yozora wo ume tsukuse..._

_[Honoka/Kotori/Hanayo/Nozomi/Rin/Umi:] You want a story?!_

For the second chorus, the band played a video behind them of a day at the beach they had done years ago back in high school.

_[Audience:] Carnival! [All:] Tomenaide ongaku [Audience:] Carnival! [All:] Tokesou na nounai [Audience:] Hey!_

_[All:] Sousa itsumademo feeling feeling! Feel my heart!_

_[Audience:] Carnival! [All:] Tomaranai muri dayo [Audience:] Carnival! [All:] Kanji tsuzukete_

_[All:] Watashi, kimi to kimi no passion hanasanai yo! Say yes, come on!_

Kotori then ended the video and played a solo on her keyboard before it transitioned into a guitar solo by Nico. Then, the final part of the song began.

_[Kotori:] Natsu wa minna no nekki de jirijiri_

_[Hanayo:] Koe ga daitan na fanfare kanaderu_

_[Honoka:] Tsukurou ne! shinki no [Kotori/Hanayo/Honoka:] Suteki na omoide wo..._

_[Rin/Nozomi/Umi/Maki/Nico/Eli:] I wanna story!_

_[Kotori:] Festival! [Honoka:] Owaranai kiseki wa [Hanayo:] Festival! [Honoka:] Watashitachi no yume [Audience:] Hey!_

_[Kotori/Hanayo/Honoka:] Datte itsumademo dancing dancing! Dance to the beat!_

_[Audience:] Festival! [All:] Owaritakunai kara [Audience:] Festival! [All:] Odori tsuzukete_

_[All:] Kimi wa kimi no shitai koto wo oshiete yo ne! Say yes, come on!_

_[All:] Shangri-la on stage! [All:] Tashikameru hikarino shower wow-wo!_

_[All:] Shangri-la on stage! [All:] Shangri-la from stage, on stage!_

After the song closed out, the audience cheered. Maki then told them, "See, it wasn't so bad, was it?" She then laughed. "No, really, I actually love that song myself. Now, are you ready to hear another new song from the new album?" The audience cheered in agreement. "Perfect." She then went to her piano. "Now, this one is a long one. I wrote it myself. It's currently #1 in Japan and it peaked at #8 in America. It's a whopping 8 and a half minutes long, so strap in, because this ride will be one hell of one. This is a silly little number known as Warning From The Heavens." The audience loudly erupted into cheers.  **(A/N: The following song is entirely in Japanese.)**

Hanayo began with a smashing of cymbals and the cry of three guitars, followed by Umi's guitar playing a riff. Then, the vocals began and a loud, foreboding piano began playing.

_[Maki]: On this day, the people of the Earth looked into the sky and saw a message from the angels!_

_[Rin:] They said, "This world's beyond our saving! Morality is caving! To let it stay would be painful!"_

_[Nozomi:] The angels pointed to man who they said would lead the righteous, as he was an example..._

_[Maki/Rin/Nozomi:] An example of, a man who feared the Heavens! He had only one request and he demanded it be done!_

_[ALL:] He requested that his family go with him in his quest to lead the righteous!_

The riff continued for a few more bars before an intense drum fill by Hanayo queued in the next section of the song. Now, the guitars stopped, and only a piano remained playing as all 9 members of the band joined in as a choir. To amplify their voices on stage further, Kotori had all of their microphones hooked into a harmonizer to add two voices to each mic, one low and one high, turning their 9 voices into a choir of 27. She also used a delay machine on some lines.

_[ALL:] Death! All! Around!_

_[ALL:] The waters purge the Earth of the unredeemable! (Unredeemable! Unredeemable! Unredeemable!)_

_[ALL:] Now the time has come! Now the time has come!_

Then, after Hanayo smashed the cymbals again, only their voices were left as the stage went dark.

_[ALL:] No more shall the evil inherit this planet! (This planet! This planet! This planet!)_

_[ALL:] The warning from the heavens has come forth! Come forth! Come forth! Come foooooorth!_

Once the choir section ended, Nozomi shifted into overdrive on the guitar, playing a solo that lasted for almost a whole minute, helped along by synths from Kotori that added to the atmosphere, as well as cracks of thunder and lightning from Kotori's console.

Then, the guitar suddenly stopped, and Hanayo began a drum solo as the song sped up in tempo. As she played away, all pistons firing, she concentrated heavily on the snare and tom-toms to produce a filling and loud sound on the record, which would occasionally be broken by the cymbals of her drum set. Then, she focused on the hi-hat, playing a rhythm as the other instruments entered back into the fray.

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as the sinful people of the Earth were washed away!_

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as the angels' warning from the heavens came too late!_

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as God cast his judgement on the sinful below!_

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as they were swept away at a distance just a stone's-throw!_

_[Rin:] We can hear the people shout! We can hear the people scream! Yet we cannot do a thing! Yet we cannot do a thing!_

_[Rin:] They brought it on themselves! They brought it on themselves! The people of the Earth! The people of the Earth!_

_[Nozomi:] This melody of destruction guarantees, that once these sinners cease to be!_

_[Nozomi:] Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth! Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth!_

_[Maki/Rin/Nozomi:] Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth! Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth!_

_[ALL:] Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth! Peace all around will be brought back to the Eaaaaaaarth!_

Then, another clash of cymbals by Hanayo queued a change in the tempo. No instruments were present, except for Maki's voice, which had a delay-echo effect added by Kotori's delay machine as she stood up from the piano with her mic and mic stand in hand.

_[Maki:] Aaaaah... (Aaaaah... Aaaaah... Aaaaah...)_

_[Maki:] Woah woah woah woaaaaah! (Woah woah woah woaaaaah! Woah woah woah woaaaaah! Woah woah woah woaaaaah!)_

_[Maki:] Can't they listen to the words of the heavens? (Can't they listen to the words of the heavens? Can't they listen to the words of the heavens? Can't they listen to the words of the heavens?)_

_[Maki:] As the cracks in their facade begin to widen... (As the cracks in their facade begin to widen... As the cracks in their facade begin to widen... As the cracks in their facade begin to widen...)_

_[Maki:] Their true nature is revealed! (Their true nature is revealed! Their true nature is revealed! Their true nature is revealed!)_

_[Maki:] They should have listened... (They should have listened... They should have listened... They should have listened...)_

_[Maki:] To the warning from the heavens! (To the warning from the heavens! To the warning from the heavens! To the warning from the heavens!)_

_[ALL:] Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! (Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah!)_

_[ALL:] May God grant us strength! (May God grant us strength! May God grant us strength! May God grant us strength! May God grant us strength!)_

Then, as the last line ended, a drum fill from Hanayo saw the song speed back up as a long-winded guitar solo by Nico began. The solo saw her play for a full minute and a half and go in practically every extreme in terms of notes and octaves, playing both the lowest and highest notes possible in her solo. Then, Rin began singing.

_[Rin:] Now the flood has passed, and the righteous have the Earth! No longer shall war and hate poison minds! The angels and their God are satisfied!_

_[Nozomi:] The perfect world is upon us! The land is clean and free! So are the water of the seas! The blight of the seven sins has ceased to be!_

Then, Umi ended the hard rock section with a riff that had a delay-echo effect applied to it. Once the last of the guitar was heard and faded out, the song became quiet as Maki sang the last line alone.

_[Maki:] Oh, the land is pure... Oh, the people are free... The heavens are satisfied... The heavens are satisfied!_

Finally, Nozomi started up the guitars again, this time quieter than before as she played a repetitive riff for about half a minute. Then, suddenly, a sudden loud note and clash of cymbals ended the song with a scare chord that was augmented by a final clap of loud thunder.

After the long epic ended, Maki said to the audience, who were amazed by the song, "They sure are satisfied!" She then bowed to an satisfied audience that now craved more. "And they said we'd never have the song released because it was too long. Bah, what bullshit, am I right?"

 


	13. Another One

"Alright," Nico said after she traded her electric guitar for an acoustic one. "This one... Well, I should probably talk a little before I play the next song." She then laughed. "Now, who here remembers us from our High School days?" She got about half of the crowd to cheer loudly in agreement. "Good, good. Let me tell you, it's nice seeing so many people from all walks of life here. We got people who remember us from 7 or 8 years ago and we got fresh new faces. I was amazed with how far our work back then traveled. It was all over Nico Nico Douga and YouTube. God, I'm dating myself by calling it NND, since they dropped the Douga part a few years back, and I'm only 25." She and the audience laughed together. "Say, who here remrmbers a certain little catchphrase involving smiling, eh?" Immediately, many in the crowd cheered. "There we go! Nico nico nii~!" She then began to do the entire catchphrase, including the pose. "Anata no Haato ni Nico nico nii~! Egao todokeru Yazawa Nico-Nico! Nico-ni de oboete rabu Nico!" The whole audience cheered after she completed it. Many had repeated it back to her. "God, that's a fucking difficult one to do when you're holding a guitar!" She then strummed a few notes. "This next song is a new one off of our new album. It's sung by Nozomi and Maki. It's a slow acoustic one, with a little bit of electric guitar by Nozomi at the end. This is called Tell Them Now." The rest of the band went backstage for this song to get a short break.

Maki then said to the crowd, "Ah, Nicocchi, you always knock 'em dead with that one." Nico, Nozomi, and Maki then all laughed. Nico then began the song while Maki sat on a stool next to Nico, all while holding her bottomless mic stand in her hands.  **(A/N: This song is entirely in Japanese, but is translated for reading convenience.)**

_[Maki:] Never have I fallen for someone quite like you..._

_[Maki:] But all this time, I thought you'd never be mine, so I never said a word..._

_[Maki:] Only now do I know, how wrong I was..._

_[Maki:] Now that you're gone, and off with another one..._

_[Maki:] Oh, love hurts... Oh, love hurts... When you wait too long..._

_[Maki/Nozomi:] Tell them now, tell them now, tell them now_

_[Nozomi:] Please don't wait for them to tell you..._

_[Maki/Nozomi:] Tell them now, tell them now, tell them now_

_[Nozomi:] I said please_ _don't wait for them to tell you..._

_[Nozomi:] Isn't it better to know the answer instead of pondering, after all?_

_[Nozomi:] Even if they say "no," at least you know instead of wondering_

Now, Nozomi began to play some soft notes on her guitar.

 _[Nozomi:]_ _Never have I fallen for someone quite like you..._

_[Nozomi:] Your voice, your mind, your body, your spirit all draw me in..._

_[Nozomi:] But now you're out with that other one, oh how it hurts..._

_[Nozomi:] I'm glad that you're happy, but am I wrong to feel pain?_

_[Nozomi:]_ _Oh, love hurts... Oh, love hurts... When you wait too long..._

_[Maki/Nozomi:] Tell them now, tell them now, tell them now_

_[Maki:] Please don't wait for them to tell you..._

_[Maki/Nozomi:] Tell them now, tell them now, tell them now_

_[Maki:] I said please_ _don't wait for them to tell you..._

_[Maki:] Isn't it better to know the answer instead of pondering, after all?_

_[Maki:] Even if they say "no," at least you know instead of wondering_

Nico then followed the second chorus with a long and soft solo on the acoustic guitar. The whole audience was quiet as they listened. For about a minute, Nico played around on the guitar as she did on the album version of the song. Then, she closed it out with a simple chord. "Thank you!" She then got up and changed her guitar out as the audience clapped and cheered.

Then, Honoka emerged from backstage with her mic in hand as Maki put the stool away. "I'm back, everyone! Now... I wanna give a shout out to Ohara Mari of Aqours for suggesting we write a song that's a bit on the heavy and industrial side of things. This is a number called Real Cardiac!"  **(A/N: This song is entirely in English.)** Umi began the song with a slide up the guitar before jumping into a fast-paced riff backed by Kotori's synth and Hanayo's drums.

_[Honoka:] Now sit down and let me tell you a thing or two all about youth!_

_[Honoka:] It can be given and taken away instantly, and that's the truth!_

_[Honoka:] Don't let no one take advantage of you because you're young!_

_[Honoka:] Just because you don't have numbers doesn't make you dumb!_

_[Honoka:] Oh, can't you take a hint?! (Take a hint... Take a hint... Take a hint...)_

_[Honoka:] They don't have to ruin it! (Ruin it... Ruin it... Ruin it...)_

_[Honoka:] They'll tell you you're "real cardiac," but don't believe it, kid!_

As she said the last line, Hanayo did a short drum fill before Umi jumped into a guitar solo as Kotori backed up Hanayo's drums with a drum beat from her synth. Kotori also triggered two blasts of pyrotechnics during the solo, which lasted about a minute and a half. Once the solo ended, Honoka started up again.

_Honoka:] Oh, can't you take a hint?! (Take a hint... Take a hint... Take a hint...)_

_[Honoka:] They don't have to ruin it! (Ruin it... Ruin it... Ruin it...)_

_[Honoka:] They'll tell you you're "real cardiac," but don't believe it, kid!_

The short song then ended with a few bars of Umi's riff before it closed out. Once it did, the audience clapped and cheered as always. Honoka bowed and said, "Thank you! Now, I'm gonna pass it along to Kotori and Umi, who will sing the next song!"

Kotori spoke up, saying, “This song is actually a collaboration with me and Umi. We began writing it a bit in 2012, but we never finished it until now. This is a song called Heart.” She then started the song with a short violin intro on her keyboard, followed by Hanayo entering in in the drums to signal the rest of the band to join in. (A/N: This song is entirely in Japanese.) Maki played along on the piano while Honoka and Rin stood by Umi, who played lead guitar.

_[ALL:] You gave me your heart that day, and since then I’ve been in the clouds_

_[ALL:] I never knew that love could take me so far and bring me up so much_

_[Kotori:] You never walked away from me, and I won’t walk away from you_

_[Umi:] You always have been there for me, and I will always be there for you_

_[Kotori:] Oh, oh, you make my head feel so light_

_[Umi:] Oh, oh, like the sun, you make my day so bright_

_[Kotori:] I could never imagine a day without you in my mind_

_[Umi:] There you go again, you always race through my mind_

The song then had a pause in the lyrics for a few seconds until the chorus began. The song was rather soft, and was light-hearted.

_[ALL:] You gave me your heart that day, and since then I’ve been in the clouds_

_[ALL:] I never knew that love could take me so far and bring me up so much_

Following the chorus, Umi played a solo on the guitar as the upbeat and cheerful song continued. The solo lasted for about half a minute before all of the instruments minus the violins on the keyboard stopped playing.

_[Kotori:] Love is a strange thing, isn’t it?_

_[Umi:] Oh yes, it can be hard to know_

_[Kotori:] But if we stick together_

_[Kotori/Umi:] We will find the answer!_

The song then picked up again as the second and final chorus began.

_[ALL:] You gave me your heart that day, and since then I’ve been in the clouds_

_[ALL:] I never knew that love could take me so far and bring me up so much_

Kotori and Umi then release the chorus by themselves before the song ended.

_[Kotori:] You gave me your heart that day, and since then I’ve been in the clouds_

_[Umi:] I never knew that love could take me so far and bring me up so much_

As the song ended, the audience cheered and clapped. Umi said to the enthusiastic audience, “Thank you! Gracias! Arigatou!”

Then, Nozomi took over from Umi. "Wonderful! Wonderful! Now, this... This next song was written as part of a Halloween festival we did back in 2012. This is more of an electronic track, but we can certainly add some guitar to it. This is a song called Dancing Stars on Me." Kotori then began playing on her keyboard as the stage went dark before the rest of the band then entered in. As Nozomi had said, they had added onto the song's instrumental to give the song a louder sound. Maki, Honoka, and Rin all playfully danced around with each other on stage.

_[Hanayo/Nico/Eli]: It's so magical! Fushigi ga guuzen wo maneiteru?_

_[Eli:] Aeta no wa! [Nico:] Aeta no wa! [Hanayo]: Suteki na unmei!_

_[Kotori/Maki/Umi:] It's so magical! Nagareru hoshi wa mikata na no?_

_[Kotori:] Negai mashou! [Maki:] Negai mashou! [Umi:] Ashita no kiseki wo!_

_[Honoka/Rin/Nozomi:] Dancing stars on me! [Nozomi:] Te wo nobashitara!_

_[Honoka/Rin/Nozomi:] Itsuka! [Rin:] Tsukame souda yo!_

_[Honoka/Rin/Nozomi:] Dakara! [Honoka:] Hate no kirei na!_

_[Honoka/Rin/Nozomi:] Kagayaki no sora wo_

_[Honoka/Rin/Nozomi:] Mezasou... [All:] Mezasou..._

_[All:] Motto motto odorasete! Minna minna tomaranai!_

_[All:] Kyou dake mahou tsukai donna yume wo miyou ka na?_

_[All:] Motto motto odorasete! Minna minna tomaranai!_

_[All:] Namida wa seishun no diamond kimi wo kazaru hikari!_

The chorus was followed by a short guitar solo by Nico before the band sang the second verse.

_[Kotori/Maki/Umi:] I'm in a fantasy! Yozora wo watare skip de!_

_[Maki:] Doko e demo! [Umi:] Doko e demo! [Kotori:] Sukina basho e ikou!_

_[Honoka/Rin/Nozomi]: I'm in a fantasy! matataku hoshi e sasayaku no!_

_[Honoka:] Susumitai! [Nozomi:] Susumitai! [Rin]: Watashi wa itsudemo!_

_[Hanayo/Nico/Eli:] Shining milky way! [Hanayo:] Fuan na toki mo!_

_[Hanayo/Nico/Eli:] Mae muitte! [Nico:] Waratte iyou!_

_[Hanayo/Nico/Eli:] Souda ne! [Eli:] Fukitobashitai!_

_[Hanayo/Nico/Eli:] Kanashimi no kumo wa!_

_[Hanayo/Nico/Eli:] Iranai... [All:] Iranai..._

_[All:] Zutto zutto sagashiteta! Rashiku rashiku aritai to!_

_[All:] Tokyou koso mahou tsukaidonna yume wo kanaechau?_

_[All:] Zutto zutto sagashiteta! Rashiku rashiku aritai to!_

_[All:] Tohadashi de seishun wo tabi shiyou mune ga hazumu tabi wo!_

The song then turned into a guitar solo by Nozomi as she took center stage. As with other songs, the band lengthened many of the solos out. As all of the lights on stage shined onto her, she played along on her Red Special Copy guitar to a cheering crowd. She looked at them and smiled as she played along, impressed with herself. Then, the solo ended, and the only instruments left were Kotori's keyboards and Hanayo's drums as the stage went dark once more. Once the song started up again, a blast of pyrotechnics occurred as the stage lit up again.

_[All:] Motto motto odorasete! Minna minna tomaranai!_

_[All:] Kyou dake mahou tsukai donna yume wo miyou ka na?_

_[All:] Motto motto odorasete! Minna minna tomaranai!_

_[All:] Namida wa seishun no diamond kimi wo kazaru hikari!_

The song then closed out to applause. Rin addressed the audience, saying, "Alright!" She then headed for the piano. Once she got there, she adjusted the mic and cleared her throat. "Now... These next few songs on our set list are covers of a certain British rock group from the 70s and 80s that visited you guys about 39 years ago." The audience, recognizing who she was talking about, cheered. "They made a few stops around here in Monterrey and Puebla back in 1981 from what Maki's told me! Am I right?!" The audience cheered in agreement. "Good." She then laughed. "This song has not been recorded yet by the band. It will be when we get back to Japan, don't worry. It's... It's dedicated to a certain young man I met some 7 years ago that has changed my life forever. This is a song that accurately describes my feelings for him. It is a Freddie Mercury composition from the Queen album A Day At The Races, and it is simply called, "You Take My Breath Away.""

_Oooooooh... Ooooh Ooooooh..._

_[ALL BUT RIN:] Take it, take it, all away..._

_Oooooooh..._

_[ALL BUT RIN:] Take my breath away...._

_Oooooooh..._

_[ALL BUT RIN:] You... Take my breath away...._

Then, Rin began playing the piano, playing a few chords before going into the melody of the song, playing the only instrument in the song so far.

_Look into my eyes and you'll see, I'm the only one..._

_You've captured my love, stolen my heart, changed my life..._

_Every time you make a move, you destroy my mind..._

_And the way you touch... I lose control and shiver... Deep inside..._

_You take my breath away..._

_You can reduce me to tears, with a single sigh... [ALL BUT RIN:] Please don't cry anymore..._

_Every breath that you take, any sound that you make, is a whisper in my ear..._

_I could give up all my life... For just one kiss..._

_I would surely die... If you dismissed me from your love..._

_You take my breath away..._

She then paused for a few seconds to look backstage at Takao and smile. She then continued.

_So please don't go... Don't leave me here all by myself..._

_I get ever so lonely, from time to time..._

_I will find you... Anywhere you go, I'll be right behind you!_

_Right until the end of the Earth!_

_I'll get no sleep 'till I find you, to tell you, that you just..._

_Take my breath away..._

After this line, Nozomi and Umi played their guitars softly in a slow solo.

_I will find you... Anywhere you go..._

Then, at the second line, their solos built up into a short crescendo and ended.

_Right until the end of the Earth!_

_I'll get no sleep 'till I find you, to tell you, when I've found you..._

_I love you..._

Rin then closed the song out on the piano, closed her eyes, and smiled. She then stood up and bowed. As she did, she noticed Takao walking behind her. She said to him in Japanese, "Takao-kun! How are you enjoying the concert so far?"

"I'm enjoying it a lot," Takao replied as he then brushed his dark brown hair to the side. He then looked to Nozomi, who simply gave him a thumbs up, a nod, and a smile. He then turned back to Rin. "Uhhh... Rin... I have a question that I need to ask you." He then reached into his pocket and pulled a small box out.

Rin, wondering what was going on, asked him, "Takao? What's that?" By now, it was as if nobody else but them were around in the entire arena.

Takao felt his heart race as he thought to himself,  _"Alright. Nozomi-san told you to go for it. You got this."_ He then took Rin's right hand into his left hand and said to her, "Hoshizora Rin, the past 7 years that we have been together have been the happiest in my life, and I would not want it any other way. I look forward to spending every day I can with you, and I cannot imagine going through a whole day without thinking about you." He then bent down on one knee, opened the small box, and revealed a ring inside. "Rin, will you marry me?"

Rin was shocked. She covered her mouth and gasped before she nodded as tears began to fall from her eyes. "Yes! Yes, I will!" She then hugged Takao as the audience erupted into cheers. "Takao, I love you!"

"I love you, Rin," her now-fiancé replied back to her. Once they split, they had a quick kiss before Takao slid the ring onto Rin's left ring finger. "It looks beautiful, just like my soon-to-be-wife."

Rin laughed and blushed at his comment. "Thank you." They then hugged again. She then motioned for a mic to come to her. Once a stage hand brought her her mic, she said to the crowd, "We're engaged!" As the crowd cheered and clapped for the couple, Rin wiped away her tears of joy as Hanayo ran over and hugged Rin, who also hugged her back. She said to her best friend, "It's happening! It's finally happening!"

"I know," Hanayo replied, feeling overjoyed for Rin. "Congratulations, Rin-chan!"

"Thank you, Kayo-chin," Rin replied, referring to her by her nickname. "Now, let's keep rockin', shall we?"

"Agreed," both Hanayo and Takao replied at the same time.

Rin then turned to the audience, "Alright, so after that, I'll turn it over to Nozomi now for the next song. Also, if that guy that almost forced me and my fiancé apart because "idols can't date" is hearing any of this, well, you'll know how I feel about you pretty soon, if you haven't already, you selfish and ungrateful prick!" She then laughed.

Nozomi then said, "You'll see soon why she said that." She then began strumming her guitar.

_My new purple shoes, bin' amazin' the people next door..._

_And my rock 'n roll 45's, bin' enragin' the folks on the lower floor..._

Then, the rest of the band joined in.

_I got a way with girls on my block, try my best be a real individual..._

Then, Nozomi began singing in a higher voice, indicating the song was taking a heavier turn.

_And when we go down to Smokies and rock, they line up like it's some kinda ritual..._

_Oh give me a good guitar, and you can say that my hair's a disgrace!  
_

_Or, just find me an open car, I'll make the speed of light outta this place!_

Then, Umi began playing a short guitar solo with a delay effect as it was switched on by Kotori.

_I like the good things in life! But most of the best things ain't free! [ALL BUT NOZOMI:] Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!_

_And this same situation, just cuts like a knife... When you're young, and you're poor, and you're crazy!_

_[Maki:] Young and you're crazy... Young and you're crazy... Young and you're crazy... [Hanayo:] Young and you're crazy!_

_But oh, give me a good guitar, and you can say that my hair's a disgrace!  
_

_Or, just find me an open car, I'll make the speed of light outta this place!_

Then, the song began to transition away from Tenement Funster and into Flick Of The Wrist as Rin began playing on the piano.  After several bars, Nozomi joined in with her guitar, and Rin stood up from her piano, bottomless mic in hand, and began singing.

_Dislocate your spine if you don't sign he says... I'll have you seeing double!_

_Mesmerize you when he's tongue-tied, simply with those eyes!_

_Synchronize your minds and see, the beast within him rise..._

_[ALL:] Don't look back! Don't look back! [Rin:] It's a ripoff!_

_[ALL:] Flick of the wrist! [Rin:] And you're dead baby!_

_[ALL:] Blow him a kiss! [Rin:] And you're mad!_

_[ALL:] Flick of the wrist! [Rin:] He'll eat your heart out!_

_[ALL:] A dig in the ribs! [Rin:] And then a kick in the head!_

_He's taken an arm, and taken a leg!_

_[ALL:] All, this, time, honey... [Rin:] Baby, you've been had..._

The audience cheered and clapped on as Rin continued to sing her heart out about Toru.

_Intoxicate your brain with what I'm saying, if not you'll lie in knee-deep trouble!_

_Prostitute yourself he says, castrate your human pride!  
_

_Sacrifice your leisure days, let me squeeze you 'till you've dried!_

_[ALL:] Don't look back! Don't look back! [Rin:] It's a ripoff!_

Then, Nozomi began playing a wild guitar solo, backed up by Nico and Umi as Rin temporarily returned to the piano. As the solo went on, the audience clapped along. Then, it ended as Rin got up from the piano once more.

_Work my fingers to my bones, I scream with pain! I still make no impression!_

_Seduce you with his money-make machine, cross-collateralize! ([ALL BUT RIN:] Big-time money, money!)_

_Reduce you to a muzak-fake machine, then the last goodbye! ([ALL BUT RIN:] Aah! Aah! Aah! Aah!) It's a ripoff!_

_[ALL:] Flick of the wrist! [Rin:] And you're dead baby!_

_[ALL:] Blow him a kiss! [Rin:] And you're mad!_

_[ALL:] Flick of the wrist! [Rin:] He'll eat your heart out!_

_[ALL:] A dig in the ribs! [Rin:] And then a kick in the head!_

_He's taken an arm, and taken a leg!_

_[ALL:] All, this, time, honey... [Rin:] Baby, you've been had..._

Now, Maki took over as she sat down at the piano, playing a slow and soft melody before singing.

_I am forever searching high and low... But why does everybody tell me no..._

_Neptune of the seas... Have you an answer for me please... And the lily of the valley doesn't know..._

_I lie in wait with open eyes... I carry on through stormy skies..._

_I follow every course... My kingdom for a horse... But each time I grow old...  
_

_Serpent of the Nile... Relieve me for a while... And cast me from your spell! [ALL:] And let me go!_

_Messenger from Seven Seas has flown... To tell the King of Rhye he's lost his throne!_

_Wars will never cease... Is there time enough for peace...? The lily of the valley doesn't know..._

The whole song then closed out with a soft guitar outro by Nico. The whole band then stood up and bowed from their positions. Maki then said from her piano, "Good job, everyone! I'm telling you, that medley is one of my favorite parts of the concert." She then got up from her piano with her mic in hand. "This next song has some Arabic and Turkish in it, so if you know either of those, do sing along. Hell, even if you don't, do it anyway!"

_Iiiiiiiibrahiiiiim..._

_[Audience:] Iiiiiiiibrahiiiiim..._

_[Audience:] Iiiiiiiibrahiiiiim..._

_Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, we'll pray for you... Hey!_

Maki then returned to her piano and began playing on it as the audience clapped along to the beat of Mustapha as the rest of the band joined in.

_Mustapha Ibrahim, Mustapha Ibrahim..._

_Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, we'll pray for you..._

_Mustapha Ibrahim, al havra kris vanin..._

_Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, we'll pray for you..._

_Mustapha... Hey, hey! Mustapha!_

_Mustapha Ibrahiiiiiim!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha Ibrahiiiiiim!_

_Ah! Allah-i, Allah-i, Allah-i!_

_Ibra-Ibra-Ibrahim, yeah!  
_

_Ibrahim, Ibrahim, Ibrahim!_

_Allah Allah Allah-i hey!_ _  
_

Maki then got up from her piano once a stage hand handed her her mic stand.

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha! [Maki:] Allah-i na stolei!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha! [Maki:] Achtar es na sholei!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha! [Maki:] Mochamut dei ya low eshelei!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha! [Maki:] Ai ai ai ai ahelei!_

_[ALL:] Mustaphaaaa! Mustaphaaaa!_

_Ist avil ahiln avil ahiln adhim Mustapha! As-salaam aleikum!_

Maki then began hammering away at the piano again, leading to a short instrumental break before jumping right back into the song.

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha!_

_[ALL:] Mustapha! Mustapha!_

_[ALL:] Mustaphaaaa! Mustaphaaaa!_

_Ist avil ahiln avil ahiln adhim Mustapha! As-salaam aleikum!_

Maki then closed the song out with a long piano outro before ending with a few hits of the highest keys on the piano. She then got up from the piano as the audience cheered. Honoka quickly took her position on the piano and said to the audience, "This next one is about the same guy Rin referred to earlier. He was a real nasty old motherfucker of a gentleman we had the displeasure of once knowing. This song accurately describes all of our feelings towards that man. It's called Death on Two Legs!" Honoka then began playing a long piano intro before Nico jumped in with her guitar. After the intro built up, it stopped, and Honoka began playing several notes to a beat. Then, the rest of the band joined in. After the intro was complete, Honoka jumped up from her piano and began singing with her mic as Maki took her spot on the piano.

_You suck my blood like a leech! You break the law and you preach!_

_You screw my brain 'till it hurts! You've taken all, my, money... And you want more!_

_Misguided old mule! With your pigheaded rules! With your narrow minded cronies who are foooools, of the first division!_

_[ALL:] Death on two legs! [Honoka:] You're tearing me apart!_

_[ALL:] Death on two legs! [Honoka:] You never had a heart of your own!_

_[ALL:] Killjoy! Bad guy! Big talking... Small fry! [Honoka:] You're just an old barrow-boy! Have you found a new toy..._

_To replace me?! Can you face me?!_

For the next line, instead of just turning around and pointing at herself, she turned around, bent down, and pointed at herself before getting up facing forward again.

_But now you can kiss... My ass goodbye!_

_[ALL:] Feel good! Are you satisfied?! Do you feel like... Suicide? [ALL BUT HONOKA:] I think you should!_

_Is your conscience all right?! Does it plague you at night?! Do you feel good?! [ALL:] FEEL GOOD?!_

Then, Nico played a guitar solo for a few bars before the song went into it's second verse.

_You talk like a big business tycoon, but you're just a hot-air balloon!_

_So no one gives you a damn! You're just an overgrown school boy! Let me tan your hide!_

_You're a dog with disease! You're the King of the sleaze! Put your money where your mouth is Mister Know-All!_

_Was the fin on your back part of the deal? SHARK!_

_[ALL:] Death on two legs! [Honoka:] You're tearing me apart!_

_[ALL:] Death on two legs! [Honoka:] You never had a heart of your own! [ALL BUT HONOKA:] You never did! Right from the start!_

_[ALL:] Insane! You should be put inside! You're a sewer rat decaying in a cesspool of pride!_

_You should be made unemployed! Make yourself null and void! That'd make me feel good!_

_[ALL:] I FEEL GOOD!_

As the audience wildly cheered, Honoka bowed before saying, "Arigatou! Gracias! I love doing that song!"

 

 

 


	14. Mexican Rhapsody

Umi then addressed the crowd as she tuned her guitar a bit. "Buenas noches, México! This next song is... Well, when µ's was formed, it was originally just me, Kotori, and Honoka. This next song was the first one we sang together. We later revamped it with all 9 of us together. This song means a lot to us, all of us. It's called START:DASH!!" The crowd then cheered as Maki began on the piano. Then, once the rest of the band began, she jumped from her piano with her mic stand in hand to join Honoka and Rin as the whole band began to sing.

_[All:] I say! Hey, hey, hey Start:Dash!! Hey, hey, hey Start:Dash!!_

Maki then returned to the piano for the rest of the first verse. For this song, Umi lead on the guitar while Nico and Nozomi backed her up.

_[Kotori:] Ubuge no kotoritachi mo! [Rin:] Itsuka sora ni habataku! [Eli:] Ookina tsuyoi tsubasa de tobu!_

_[Umi:] Akiramecha dame nanda! [Nozomi:] Sono hi ga zettai kuru! [Maki:] Kimi mo kanjiteru yo ne! Hajimari no kodou!_

_[Hanayo:] Ashita yo kaware! [Nico:] Kibou ni kaware! [Hoboka:] Mabushii hikari ni! Terasarete kaware! [All:] START!_

Just as the first chorus began, Maki jumped up from her piano again to join the rest of the band.

_[All:] Kanashimi ni tozasarete! Naku dake no kimi janai! Atsui mune kitto mirai wo! Kirihiraku hazu sa!_

_[All:] Kanashimi ni tozasarete! Naku dake ja tsumaranai!_

_[Honoka/Hanayo/Nico:] Kitto! [Umi/Maki/Nozomi:] Kitto! [Kotori/Rin/Eli:] Kimi no! [Honoka/Hanayo/Nico:] Yume no! [Umi/Maki/Nozomi:] Chikara!_

_[Kotori/Rin/Eli:] Ima wo! [Honoka/Hanayo/Nico:] Ugosaku chikara! [All:] Shinjiteru yo! Dakara start!_

_[All:]_ _Hey, hey, hey Start:Dash!!_ _Hey, hey, hey Start:Dash!!_

This time, Rin took Maki's place on the piano as the second verse began.

_[Rin:] Ameagari no kibun de! [Nozomi:] Takamaru kitai no naka! [Hanayo:] Tsumazuita koto sae mo! [All:] Omoide ni shiyou!_

_[Eli:] Ashita ga saku yo! [Maki:] Kibou ga saku yo! [Honoka:] Tanoshii merodii kuchizusami saita! [All:] DASH!!_

_[All:] Yorokobi wo uketomete! Kimi to boku tsunagarou! Mayoimichi yatto soto e! Nukedashita hazu sa!_

_[All:] Yorokobi wo uketomete! Kimi to boku susumu darou!_

_[Honoka/Maki/Eli:] Sore wa! [Hanayo/Rin/Nozomi:] Sore wa! [Kotori/Umi/Nico:] Tooi! [Honoka/Maki/Eli:] Yume no! [Hanayo/Rin/Nozomi:] Kakera!_

_[Kotori/Umi/Nico:] Dakedo! [Honoka/Maki/Eli:] Itoshii kakera! [All:] Kanata e to! Boku wa dash!_

This time, Honoka went to the piano, playing several notes before singing the last line before the song's guitar solo.

_[Honoka:] Mata hitotsu yume ga umare..._

Then, as Honoka played away at the piano, Umi played the solo's lead guitar. As with other songs, the solo had been lengthened by several bars to give Umi more time to play. Then, when the solo ended, Eli sang the next line as the song slowed down for a bit.

 _[Eli:] Kanashimi ni tozasarete! [Maki:] Naku dake no kimi janai! [Honoka:]_ _Atsui mune kitto mirai wo! Kirihiraku hazu sa!_

With the last line, Honoka jumped up from the piano as the song picked up again and the whole band joined in.

_[All:] Yorokobi wo uketomete! Kimi to boku tsunagarou! Mayoimichi yatto soto e! Nukedashita hazu sa!_

_[All:] Yorokobi wo uketomete! Kimi to boku susumu darou!_

_[Kotori:] Sore wa! [Rin:] Sore wa! [Hanayo:] Tooi! [Nico:] Yume no! [Umi:] Kakera!_

_[Nozomi:] Dakedo! [Honoka:] Itoshii kakera! [All:] Kanata e to! Boku wa dash!_

_[All:] _Hey, hey, hey Start:Dash!! ([Honoka:] You sing it!) [Audience:]_ _Hey, hey, hey Start:Dash!!__

Then, the song closed out to rounds of applause and cheers across the arena. Maki then said to the audience, "Good job! All of you! Now... Let me ask you all a question. How would you feel if we decided to add in a new thing we haven't done before on stage?" The audience cheered in agreement. "Well, good. This one is a Queen cover we had floated around adding to the set, but we cut it for a variety of reasons. Now, we're gonna play it for you guys as a treat, since it's our first night in Mexico. This is a little-known song from A Night At The Opera, and it actually will feature Hanayo on both drums AND lead vocals." She then sat down at the piano and said in Japanese through its mic, "Hanayo-chan, let's do it." Hanayo then clacked her drumsticks together to a 3/4 beat 6 times before the band started the song, with Maki on the piano and Nozomi leading on the guitar. The song featured was pitched up a semitone, like many of the cover songs.

_[Hanayo:] Yeaaaah..._

_[Hanayo:] The machine of a dream... Such a clean machine!_

_[Hanayo:] With the pistons a pumpin'! And the hubcaps all gleam!_

_[Hanayo:] When I'm holding your wheel! All I hear is your gear!_

_[Hanayo:] When my hand's on your grease gun! Mmmm, it's like a disease son!_

_[Hanayo/Maki:] I'm in love with my car! [Hanayo:] Gotta feel for my automobile!_

_[Hanayo/Maki:] Get a grip on my boy racer rollbar! [Hanayo:] Such a thrill when your radials squeal!_

_[Hanayo:] Told my girl I have to forget her! Rather buy me a new cartburettor!_

_[Hanayo:] So she made tracks sayin' this is the end now!_

_[Hanayo:] Cars don't talk back! They're just four wheeled friends now!_

_[Hanayo:] When I'm holding your wheel! All I hear is your gear!_

_[Hanayo:] When I'm cruisin' in overdrive! Don't have to listen to no run of the mill talk jive!_

_[Hanayo/Maki:] I'm in love with my car! [Hanayo:] Gotta feel for my automobile!_

_[Hanayo/Maki:] I'm in love with my car! [Hanayo:] String back gloves in my automolove!_

The band then closed the song out after several bars with car engine revving sound effects from Kotori as Maki played several notes on the piano. As Hanayo wiped her forehead of sweat, she laughed as the audience cheered. Honoka then addressed the crowd with, "She told you it was gonna be a good one, eh? Anyways, I would normally be introducing a high school era song here, but Maki informed me there's one little thing she's gotta say to some people before we do."

"Thank you," Maki replied as she got up. "As you all may know, this year is a presidential election back up north in the States. I don't wanna get political again, after I did in Berkeley, but I wanna make this clear: If you are a fan of µ's, and you're still confused as to what side you should be on, let me make it clear for you." She then cleared her throat. "If you support Trump, FUCK YOU!" She then gave the middle finger as the crowd cheered. "FUCK YOU! Take your business elsewhere, because we don't want you! Fuck you!" She then sighed. "It feels redundant saying that south of the border, considering he's less popular than herpes or something down here because of that stupid fucking wall he wants to build but STILL hasn't after almost 4 years. Gee, it's almost as if he was just saying that to drum up hate for your people, eh?" The audience cheered in agreement. "Want me to say some shit to him in Spanish? ¡Presidente Donald John Trump de los Estados Unidos de América, estás pero si bien pendejo! ¡Me cago en tu madre, que te la pique un pollo, y me cago en la leche que te han dado, malditos pintamonas! Wow, I actually pronounced all that correctly..." The whole audience laughed and cheered. "Now, I got a little song for that idiot. This is called White America!"

_AMERICA! Ahahaha!_

_We love you!_

The rest of the band then jumped in, playing a cover of the instrumental track of the song.

_How many people are proud to be citizens of this beautiful country of ours?_

_The stripes and the stars for the rights that men have died for to protect?_

_The women and men who have broke their necks for the freedom of speech the United States government has sworn to uphold!_

_Or so we're told..._

Then, Maki jumped into the first verse of the song.

_I never woulda dreamed in a million years I'd see  
_

_So many motherfuckin' people who feel like me  
_

_Who share the same views and the same exact beliefs  
_

_It's like a fuckin' army marchin' in back of me  
_

_So many lives I touched, so much anger aimed  
_

_In no particular direction, just sprays and sprays_

_And straight through your radio waves, it plays and plays  
_

_'Til it stays stuck in your head, for days and days  
_

_Who woulda thought, standin' in this mirror, bleachin' my hair  
_

_With some peroxide, reachin' for a t-shirt to wear  
_

_That I would catapult to the forefront of rap like this?  
_

_How could I predict my words would have an impact like this?_

_I musta struck a chord with somebody up in the office  
_

_'Cause Congress keep tellin' me I ain't causin' nothin' but problems  
_

_And now they're sayin' I'm in trouble with the government  
_

_I'm lovin' it, I shoveled shit all my life, and now I'm dumpin' it on—  
_

Then, for the chorus, Rin and Honoka jumped in as well as the crowd also joined in.

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

For the next verse, Nozomi took over, rapping while playing the guitar at the same time, an interesting sight that impressed the fired-up crowd.

_Look at these eyes, baby blue, baby just like yourself  
_

_If they were brown, Shady'd lose, Shady sits on the shelf  
_

_But Shady's cute, Shady knew Shady's dimples would help  
_

_Make ladies swoon, baby (ooh, baby!) — look at my sales!  
_

_L_   _et's do the math: if I was black, I woulda sold half  
_

_I ain't have to graduate from Lincoln High School to know that  
_

_But I could rap, so fuck school, I'm too cool to go back  
_

_Give me the mic! Show me where the fuckin' studio's at!_

_When I was underground no one gave a fuck I was white_

_No labels wanted to sign me, almost gave up, I was like_

_"Fuck it," until I met Dre, the only one to look past_

_Gave me a chance and I lit a fire up under his ass_

_Helped him get back to the top, every fan black that I got_

_Was probably his in exchange for every white fan that he's got_

_Like damn, we just swapped: sittin' back lookin' at shit, wow_

_I'm like my skin is just startin' to work to my benefit now?_

This time, the entire band joined in on the chorus.

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

For the final verse, Maki took over once more.

_See, the problem is, I speak to suburban kids_

_Who otherwise woulda never knew these words exist_

_Whose moms probly woulda never gave two squirts of piss_

_'Til I created so much motherfuckin' turbulence_

_Straight out the tube, right into your livin' rooms I came_

_And kids flipped when they knew I was produced by Dre_

_That's all it took, and they were instantly hooked right in_

_And they connected with me too, because I looked like them_

_That's why they put my lyrics up under this microscope_

_Searchin' with a fine tooth comb, it's like this rope_

_Waitin' to choke, tightenin' around my throat_

_Watchin' me while I write this, like, "I don't like this note!"_

_All I hear is: lyrics, lyrics, constant controversy_

_Sponsors working round the clock to try to stop my concerts early_

_Surely hip-hop was never a problem in Harlem, only in Boston_

_After it bothered the fathers of daughters startin' to blossom_

_So now I'm catchin' the flak from these activists when they raggin'_

_Actin' like I'm the first rapper to smack a bitch or say "faggot," shit_

_Just look at me like I'm your closest pal_

_The posterchild, the motherfuckin' spokesman now, for—_

Again, the entire band joined in for the chorus.

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

_White America, I could be one of your kids_

_White America, little Eric looks just like this_

_White America, Erica loves my shit_

_I go to TRL, look how many hugs I get!_

For the outro speech of the song, Maki addressed the crowd. She changed up some of the lyrics to match the current times.

_So to the parents of America, I am the Deringer_

_Aimed at little Erica to attack her character_

_To fight the ringleader of this circus of pawns_

_Who has lead a march right up to the steps of Congress_

_To piss on the constitution and on liberty_

_To burn the flag and replace it with a Neo-Nazi swastika_

_To spit liquor in the face of democracy and justice_

_Fuck you, Mr. Trump! Fuck you, Mr. Pence!_

_Fuck you with the freest of speech your Divided States of Embarrassment will allow me to have!_

_I love America, and I love its people, but fuck you!_

After the song closed out to cheers, Maki bowed and said to the crowd, "Hahah... You know, if this µ's thing doesn't work out, I could be a rap artist." The crowd then laughed as the stage went dark for a few seconds before Nozomi started playing the next song on the guitar.

_[ALL:] Oh yeah!_

_[ALL:] Oh yeah!_

_[ALL:] Oh yeah!_

_[ALL:] Isshin icchou!_

Then, the rest of the band joined in. Rin and Maki stood beside Honoka, who was the lead in this song, as Nico and Umi joined in on the guitar.

_[Honoka:] Hora makenai yo ne?_

_[Maki:] Kuyashii na mada no brand_

_[Kotori:] Shiraretenai yo no brand_

_[Nico:] Nanimo kamo kore kara, atsui kibun_

_[Nozomi:] Tanoshii yo demo no brand ([All but Nozomi:] Do you know?)_

_[Umi:] Harikitterun da no brand ([All but Umi:] Do you know?)_

_[Rin:] Dakara koko de deau tame ni! (All but Rin:] Yes I know!)_

_[Hanayo:] Mezasu basho wa! ([Honoka:] Takai)_

_[Eli:] Ima yori takaku ([Hanayo:] Doko made?)_

_[Honoka:] Chansu no maegami wo_

_([Eli:] Motte) [Honoka:] Hanasanai kara_

_([Hanayo:] Motte) [Honoka:] Hanasanai kara_

_[Honoka:] Kiseki no niji wo [Everyone:] Watarunda_

Then, the band jumped into the energy-filled chorus, handing off parts of the chorus to the audience.

_[Everyone]: Kabe wa [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Kowaseru mono sa [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Everyone:]  Jibun kara motto chikara wo dashite yo_

_[Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Kowaseru mono sa [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki de mirai wo misete_

_[Everyone:]  Un makenai kara!_

The second verse of the song started with Nozomi before moving onto Umi and Rin.

_[Nozomi:] Kizutsukeaccha no good_

_[Umi:] Nakatagai wa no good_

_[Rin:] Daisuki no gokai wa Tsurai kibun_

_[Hanayo:] Kurushii mune wa no good ([All but Hanayo:] Hurry up!)_

_[Eli:] Akirametara No good ([All but Eli:] Hurry up!)_

_[Honoka:] Sou sa nareba kanau omoi_

_[Kotori:] Negau basho wa ([Nico:] Tooi!)_

_[Maki:] Madamada tooku ([Kotori:] Dono kana?)_

_[Nico:] Janpu de chikaku nare_

_([Maki:] Kyou no) [Nico:] Senobi no kimi to_

_([Kotori:] Gutto) [Nico:] Senobi no boku de_

_[Nico:] Ano hi no chikai [Everyone:] Sagasunda_

They then jumped into the second chorus.

_[Everyone]: Yami wo [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Fukitobasou yo [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Oiharaou yo_

_[Everyone:]  Jibun kara ima wo kaereba ii no sa_

_[Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Fukitobasou yo [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Oiharaou yo_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki de mirai wo misete_

_[Everyone:] Sou da yo kakugo wa dekita_

As before, Nico them jumped into an intense guitar solo as Nozomi played the rhythm guitar. For the section after the solo, the band replaced the "oh yeah" section with another guitar solo by Umi.

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Honoka]: Kabe wa [Everyone:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Honoka:] Kowaseru mono sa [Everyone:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Honoka:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Honoka:]  Jibun kara motto chikara wo dashite yo_

_[Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Kowaseru mono sa [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki de mirai wo misete_

_[Everyone:] Sou da yo kakugo wa dekita_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah! Zenshin zenrei!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeaaaah!_

Hanayo smashed her cymbals once again to give the song a loud and energetic ending. She then smashed them one last time as she stood up and yelled while holding her drum sticks in the air, "Right on!" As the stage went dark once  more, the band shuffled spots, with Hanayo taking Honoka's mic as Eli replaced her on drums, while Umi replaced Eli on bass and Kotori replaced Umi on her guitar.

Rin then addressed the crowd, saying, "Alright... This next one tells a story. Me and Kayo-chin wrote it after reading a bunch of mystery novels one night. It's a number called A Mystery on the Yamanote Line." The song. which was entirely in Japanese, then began with Kotori gently playing several opening notes on the guitar before Nico strummed on the acoustic guitar.

_[Rin:] It had been a rough night, I had lost my job, the only place I felt welcome was my own home_

_[Rin:] When I got on the train, I was all alone, then at a stop I was joined by three men that seemed to roam_

_[Rin:] The middle man was held up, by the other two, he must have drank too much after work..._

The song had a dark and eerie feel to it as the rest of the band joined in.

_[Hanayo:] At the next stop one man left, but he said some words, he told the middle man, "Take it easy, Shin."_

_[Hanayo:] That's when I noticed that Shin was out cold, his head wobbling around, yeah it seemed to spin_

_[Hanayo:] The next stop after that, the other man also left, he simply told Shin, "See you later, friend."_

_[Hanayo:] Now I was all alone..._

The song then had an instrumental interlude as Kotori played a guitar solo. Meanwhile, Honoka controlled Kotori's console, playing footage of trains passing by late at night behind the band.

_[Rin/Hanayo:]_ _Now it was just me and Shin, he still did not move, and I swore that his eyes looked dead_

_[Rin/Hanayo:] Then, we rounded a bend, and I got the shock of my life!_

A sudden scare chord caused many in the audience to jump in fright as the stage went completely dark. Then, a staged picture of a horrified Rin looking over a dead body on a train popped up on the screen behind the band as Rin let out a bloodcurdling scream of horror. Then, two spotlights appeared to illuminate Rin and Hanayo.

_[Rin/Hanayo:] Shin wasn't drunk, he was dead!_

_[Rin:] As he laid there by my feet! [Hanayo:] I saw a a trickle of blood on the floor!_

_[Rin:] As he laid in eternal sleep! [Hanayo:] I saw a bullet hole and let out a roar!_

_[Rin/Hanayo:] He had been shot! He had been shot! And I saw it all!_

The song then ended as the lights went back up on stage. The audience clapped and cheered, not expecting such a theatrical song. Hanayo then said, "Thank you! We certainly are varied, huh?"

Maki then got up from her piano and said, "Now, you know about how we don't like Trump. Well, what if I told you we have similar people like him in Japan? They're called uyoku dantai, and they're a bunch of far-right pricks who deny the Rape of Nanking. Me and Umi got sick of them, so we wrote this next song about them. Again, I apologize for the politics. It will all pass soon, darlings, don't worry." Then, the song, in Japanese and English, began with a slow and methodical drum beat by Eli as Honoka entered in on the synthesizer. As the song played, pictures of Japanese war crimes appeared on a screen behind the band. Maki and Hanayo would point to the screen at times when they sang some lines.

_[Maki:] You can't deny the past, or so you're told..._

_[Maki:] You can't deny the past, or so you're told..._

_[Umi:] You can't erase the pain, or so you're told..._

_[Umi:] You can't erase the pain, or so you're told..._

_[Hanayo:] You can't clean up the blood, or so you're told..._

_[Hanayo:] You can't clean up the blood, or so you're told..._

_(En) [Maki:] They say now that it didn't happen, what those soldiers did in Nanking_

_(En) [Umi:] Those 200,000 that were raped and killed, they saw now that it didn't happen_

_(En) [Hanayo:] They say now that it didn't happen, with all of those comfort women_

_(En) [Maki:] Those 300,000 women who were sex slaves, they saw now that it didn't happen_

_[Umi:] Can you really believe that denying such a thing is even allowed?_

_[Hanayo:] Germany got its act together, so why not us?_

_(En) [Maki:] They say now that it didn't happen, what those soldiers did at Bataan_

_(En) [Umi:] Those 18,000 that were beaten and shot, they saw now that it didn't happen_

_(En) [Hanayo:] They say now that it didn't happen, at Unit 731_

_(En) [Maki:] Those thousands of Chinese who were experiments, they saw now that it didn't happen_

_[Maki/Hanayo/Umi:] We gotta take on these Uyoku Dantai, before it's too late_

_[Maki/Hanayo/Umi:] We gotta take on these Uyoku Dantai, before it's too late_

_[Maki/Hanayo/Umi:] We gotta take on these Uyoku Dantai, before it's too late_

_[Maki/Hanayo/Umi:] We gotta take on these Uyoku Dantai, before it's too late_

_[Umi:] You wouldn't deny the Holocaust, or what the Turks did in Armenia_

_[Maki:] So what makes it okay to deny what we ourselves had done?_

The song was a short one, and it ended rather abruptly. The audience clapped but did not cheer, recognizing the seriousness of the song. Hanayo then said, "Thank you. Let's move on from the serious stuff now. Now, uhhh... This next one is a song I wrote by myself. After this, we'll switch back around to our original spots for the one after. This one is On My Own."  This all-Japanese song began with a guitar riff by Nico.

_[Hanayo:] It's been fun, but now I gotta go, so don't try to drag me down!_

_[Hanayo:] It's been fun, but this has gone stale, so don't try to spin me around!_

_[Hanayo:] I wish you farewell, I wish it could last, but alas this did not, and I feel bad, but I gotta live on my own!_

Then, the song entered into its chorus as the time signature changed from 4/4 to 3/4.

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, go live my life!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, you need to, leave me be!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, explore my mind!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, on my own, on my own!_

For the second verse, the time signature changed back to 4/4. Hanayo had decided to throw in a signature change as a challenge to herself.

_[Rin:] You tell me, you can't live without me, but yes you really can!_

_[Rin:] Don't give me, your stupid lies and talk, go live your own damn life!_

_[Rin:] I wish you farewell, you say I'll regret it, but I really won't though! You say all that, but I gotta live on my own!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, go live my life!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, you need to, leave me be!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, explore my mind!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, on my own, on my own!_

Once the signature changed back to 4/4, Nico played a guitar solo that lasted a full minute as Maki danced around on stage. "Hey!" The audience then replied back to her in kind. "Yeaah! Alright, alright! Okay, okay! Yeaaaaah!" Maki had the audience eating out the palm of her hand by now. Then, the final chorus began.

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, go live my life!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, you need to, leave me be!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, explore my mind!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, on my own, on my own!_

As the last line ended, the song slowed down in tempo before it stopped. The audience then cheered as Maki then quietly strutted to the piano. Once she handed her mic off, the band rearranged themselves on stage to their original positions as she tuned her piano mic and cracked her fingers. She then cleared her throat before she turned around and looked at the band to see if they were ready. "Alright, this... Uhhh... ¡Esta próxima canción se llama Rapsodia Bohemia!" The audience then went wild as Maki began to play the song, which ad been pitched up a semitone.

_Mamaaaaaa... Just killed a maaaaaan..._

_Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead..._

_Mamaaaaaa... Life had just beguuuuuun..._

_But now I've gone and thrown it all awaaaaaay..._

A clash of cymbals by Hanayo signalled the next lines of the song. The audience knew every word of the song, and sang so loud that even Maki could hear them.

_Mamaaaaaa... Oooooooooh..._

_Didn't mean to make you cry..._

_If I'm not back again this time tomorrow..._

_Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters..._

For the next part, Umi joined in by plucking her guitar strings to the melody of Maki's piano.

_Too laaaaaate... My time has come..._

_Send shivers down my spine, bodies aching all the time..._

_Goodbye, everybody... I've got to go..._

_Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth!_

Nico then joined in, playing a low-pitched rhythm guitar part as the song picked up in intensity. The audience knew every word of the song.

_Mamaaaaaa... Oooooooooh..._

_I don't wanna die..._

_I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!_

Nozomi then moved to the front of the stage, confidently playing Bohemian Rhapsody's guitar solo. As she played along, she could hear the audience sing along to the solo, which made her laugh slightly. Then, when she ended, the solo, she bowed, Maki jumped up from the piano, and the band exited to backstage as the video of the opera section of the original song, again, pitched up a semitone, played on the screen on stage, accompanied by a light show that included pulsing lights underneath Hanayo's drum set.

_I see a little silhouetto of a man!_

_Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?_

_THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTNING, VERY, VERY FRIGHTENING ME!_

_Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo Figaro!_

_Magnifico! (Oh, oh, oh, oh!)_

_I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me..._

_HE'S JUST A POOR BOY FROM A POOR FAMILY!  
_

_SPARE HIM HIS LIFE FROM THIS MONSTROSITY!_

_Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?_

_(Bismillah!) NO! WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_(Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_(Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!)_

_WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!) (Never, never...)_

_WILL NOT LET  YOU GO! (Never, never let me go!) (Oh, oh, oh oh!)_

_No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!_

_Oh mama mia, mama mia! MAMA MIA LET ME GO!  
_

_BEELZEBUB, HAS THE DEVIL PUT ASIDE FOR-_

As soon as the last line was uttered on the video, the band began to reemerge onto the dark stage. Nico, Umi, Eli, and Hanayo all began playing their instruments to signal the return of the band.

_ME! FOR ME! FOR ME!!!_

A massive blast of pyrotechnics from the front of the stage sent the crowd into a frenzy and signaled the full return of the band as Maki emerged from the smoke, energetically dancing across the stage with her mic stand in hand as she belted out the rock section. Nico took over on the lead guitar for this part of the song. The audience was even louder on this part.

_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?!_

_So you think you can love me and leave me to DIIIIIIE?!_

_Ohhhhh, baby! Can't do this to me, baby!_

_Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!_

Then, Maki returned to her piano as Nico closed out the rock section of the song and Maki began playing the piano again. After playing a series of notes, the band moved into the final section of the song.

_Oooooh, yeah! Oooooh, yeah!_

_Nothing really matters... Anyone can see..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_To me..._

Then, Hanayo grabbed a mallet from behind her as she readied herself to bang a gong behind her as the song closed out.

_Anyway... The wind... Blows..._

Then, Hanayo smacked the gong with the mallet, producing a loud boom as Maki stood up from her piano with her mic and stand in one hand and her fist raised in triumph in the other. "Yeah! Anyway the wind blows!" She, Nozomi, and Nico then bowed. "Alright, Honoka, take it from here."

"Thank you," Honoka replied as she emerged on stage. "This next one was always a bit hard on stage since most of it consists of us singing by school year instead of the nine of us together, which can be hard at first when you first perform it. The English title of this song is We're All In This Moment, but it's more often known by its Japanese name of Bokura wa Ima no Naka de!"

Kotori then started up an instrumental violin track for the song and began playing a synthesizer keyboard next to her. Then, Hanayo began playing the drums to signal the rest of the song, which was noticeably different due to the addition of onstage guitars, primarily Nico's. Rin shouted, "You all know this! Let's go!" Maki went back to the piano.

_[Honoka/Kotori/Umi] Massugu na omoi ga minna wo musubu!_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Umi] Honki demo bukiyou butsukariau kokoro!_

_[Maki/Rin/Hanayo] Sore demo mitai yo ookina yume wa!  
_

_[Maki/Rin/Hanayo] Koko ni aru yo hajimatta bakari!_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Umi] (Wakatteru!) [Nico/Eli/Nozomi] Tanoshii dake ja nai tamesareru darou!_

_[Maki/Rin/Hanayo] (Wakatteru!) [Nico/Eli/Nozomi] Datte sono kurushisa mo mirai!_

_[Maki/Rin/Hanayo] (Ikunda yo!) [Honoka/Kotori/Umi] Atsumattara tsuyoi jibun ni natteku yo!_

_[Maki/Rin/Hanayo] (Kitto ne!) [Nico/Eli/Nozomi] Kawaritsuzukete! [Hon/Kot/Umi] (We’ll be stars!)_

Maki then jumped up from her piano and joined Honoka and Rin.

_[All:] Sorezore ga suki na koto de ganbareru nara!_  

_[All:] Atarashii basho ga goal da ne!_  

_[All:] Sorezore no suki na koto wo shinjiteireba!_  

_[All:] Tokimeki wo daite susumeru darou!_

_[All:] Kowagaru kuse wa! Sutechae tobikiri no egao de!_

_[All:] Tonde tonde takaku! Bokura wa ima no naka de!_

This time, Rin went to the piano instead of Maki, giving her mic stand to a stage hand before sitting down at the piano. Additionally, Umi took over as the primary guitar on stage.

_[Maki/Rin/Hanayo] Kangaeru dake yori minna de hashirou!_

_[Maki/Rin/Hanayo] Ashita wa mikansei yosou dekinai chikara!_

_[Nico/Eli/Nozomi] Sore nara okoru yo kiseki wa hitsuzen!  
_

_[Nici/Eli/Nozomi] Kore kara da yo nanimokamo zenbu ga!_

_[Maku/Rin/Hanayo] (Wakatteru!) [Honoka/Kotori/Umi] Kanashii toki ni koso ue wo muitemiyou!_

_[Nico/Eli/Nozomi] (Wakatteru!) [Honoka/Kotori/Umi] Motto subarashiku nare sekai!_

_[Nico/Eli/Nozomi] (Hoshiinda yo!) [Maki/Rin/Hanayo] Kagayaki wo mune ni yadoshitai kara!_

_[Nico/Eli/Nozomi] (Gutto ne!) [Maki/Rin/Hanayo] Kisoiaou yo! [Honoka/Kotori/Umi] (We can fly!)_

Rin got up from the piano and grabbed her mic stand to once again join Honoka and Maki as the whole band joined in for the chorus.

_[All:] Furikaeru hima nante nai ne sonna kibun sa!_  

_[All:] Firogaru yo kimi to doko made mo!_  

_[All:] Furikaeru hima nante nai to kanjiteiru yo!_  

_[All:] Shigeki e no kitai moriagatteku!_

_[All:] Yowaki na boku ni! Sayonara kesanaide egao de!_

_[All:] Tonde tonde takaku! Bokura to ima no naka wo!_

Nico then began playing a relatively improvised guitar solo up until the third verse came up. As with every night, Nico would change up the solo to something unique.

_[Honoka/Kotori/Umi] Yume ga ookiku naru hodo! [Nico/Eli/Nozomi] Tamesareru darou!_

_[Nico/Eli/Nozomi] Mune no atsusa de norikire! [Maki/Rin/Hanayo] Boku no ondo wa!_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Umi] Atsui kara! [Maki/Rin/Hanayo] Atsusugite! [Nico/Eli/Nozomi] Tomaranai!_

_Mubou na kake? Kachi ni ikou!_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Umi] Sorezore ga suki na koto de ganbareru nara!_

_[Maki/Rin/Hanayo] Atarashii! [Nico/Eli/Nozomi] Basho ga! [Honoka/Kotori/Umi] GOORU da ne!_

_[All:] Sorezore no suki na koto wo shinjiteireba!_

_[All:] Tokimeki wo aite susumeru darou!_

_[All:] Kowagaru kuse wa sutechae tobikiri no egao de!  
_

_[All:] Tonde tonde takaku bokura to ima wo!_

_[All:] Yowaki na boku ni! Sayonara kesanaide egao de!  
_

_[All:]Tonde tonde takaku (Honoka: Go for it!) (Audience: Bokura wa ima no naka de!)_

_[All:] Kagayaki wo matteta!_

Nico, Umi, and Nozomi then closed the song out with a short hard rock outro that ended with a clash of cymbals by Hanayo. As the crowd went wild, Maki said to them, "Thank you! Thank you! You know, that song was always a bitch to perform live due to the rapid-fire changing of vocalists. Trust me, during rehearsals both now and back in 2013-2014, we would do some pretty big screw-ups while singing that song. It's still a great song, though." She then laughed. "Though I guess with songs like Warning From The Heavens, it isn't so bad now."


	15. Mexico Ga Ga

"Okay," Honoka addressed the audience. "This... This next one is another one from our lengthy high school-era series of works. This is called Sore wa Bokutachi no Kiseki." As Kotori began on the synth, Honoka sang the first line.

_[Honoka:] Saa... yume wo kanaeru no wa minna no yuuki_

_[Hanayo/Rin/Maki:] Makenai! ([Nico/Nozomi/Eli]: Kokoro de!) [All:] Ashita e kakete yukou!_

The whole band then entered into the song, with Umi leading on the guitar this time. Rin and Honoka stood up while Maki played on the piano.

_[Kotori/Honoka/Umi:] Tsuyoi tsuyoi negaigoto ga! Bokutachi wo michibiite kureta!_

_[Hanayo/Rin/Maki:] Tsugi wa zettai yuzurenai yo! Nokosareta jikan wo nigirishimete!_

_[Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] Tada no omoide sore dake ja iyada yo! Seiippai hikara no kagiri hashirunda!_

As the song entered the chorus, Nozomi and Nico entered in on the guitar alongside Umi.

_[All:] Saa... yume wo dakishimetara ue no muite_

_[Kotori/Honoka/Umi:] Kimi no sekai ga ookiku kawaru yo_

_[All:]_ _Saa... yume wo kanaeru no wa minna no yuuki_

_[Hanayo/Rin/Maki:] Makenai! ([Nico/Nozomi/Eli]: Kokoro de!) [All:] Ashita e kakete yukou!_

_[Hanayo/Rin/Maki:] Atsui atsui kitai no naka de! Bokutachi wa yorokobi wo utaou!_

_[Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] Onaji omoi kanjite mite yo! Kagirareta jikan wo tanoshimou yo!_

_[Kotori/Honoka/Umi:] Mou tomerarenai jounetsu no kachi da ne!_

_[Hanayo/Rin/Maki:] Kuyamu yori hashiri tsudzukeyou!_

_[Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] Fui ni ita sora konna ni mo aoi yo!_

_[Kotori/Honoka/Umi:] Daijoubu akiramenaide hashirunda!_

The second chorus included a dazzling light show on stage as all 9 of them sang their hearts out.

_[All:] Sou... ano hi yume mita no wa minna no egao!_

_[Kotori/Honoka/Umi:] Kimi no egao sa dakara waratte yo!_

_[All:] Sou... ano hi onaji yume wo egaitanda!_

_[Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] Kagayaku! ([Hanayo/Rin/Maki:] Hitomi wa!) [All:] Ashita wo shinjiteta!_

After the second chorus, Umi began shredding it on the guitar as she took to the front of the stage alongside Eli, who was somewhat pushed up by Rin and Honoka as the three laughed. Then, Maki got up from the piano with her mic in hand as she began to exchange with the audience as the solo continued.

_Hey! ([Audience:] Hey!) Hey! ([Audience:] Hey!) Yeaaahh! ([Audience:] Yeaaahh!) Yeeaaaah woah! ([Audience:] Yeeaaaah woah!) Eeeaaaaaaah dohp! ([Audience:] Eeeaaaaaaah dohp!) Yeah yeah yeah! ([Audience:] Yeah yeah yeah!) Yeah yeah yeah! ([Audience:] Yeah yeah yeah!) Yeah yeah yeah! ([Audience:] Yeah yeah yeah!) Okay, let's do it!_

Then, the band jumped into the final chorus of the song.

_[All:] Saa... yume wo dakishimetara ue no muite_

_[Kotori/Honoka/Umi:] Kimi no sekai ga ookiku kawaru yo_

_[All:]_ _Saa... yume wo kanaeru no wa minna no yuuki_

_[Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] Makenai! ([Hanayo/Rin/Maki]: Kokoro de!) [All:] Ashita e kakete yukou!_

_[All:] Sou... ano hi yume mita no wa minna no egao!_

_[Kotori/Honoka/Umi:] Kimi no egao sa dakara waratte yo!_

_[All:] Sou... ano hi onaji yume wo egaitanda!_

_[Hanayo/Rin/Maki:] Kagayaku! ([Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] Hitomi wa!) [All:] Ashita wo shinjiteta!_

_[Honoka:] Makenai! ([Nico/Nozomi/Eli:] Kokoro de!) [All:] Ashita wo shinjiteta!_

The song then closed out to thunderous applause as the crowd chanted the band's name repeatedly. Honoka then thanked them, saying, "Thank you! You're wonderful!" Rin then moved a stool out onto stage as Nico grabbed her acoustic guitar.

After Nico sat down and moved a stage mic to her, she said to the audience, "First off, I'd like to apologize to the audience a little bit. I know we've added like one or two songs to our already long set, but since it's the first night here in Mexico, we'd like to do some special stuff. Also, I know we haven't exactly spoken in Spanish a lot tonight. Trust me, we all wish we could speak more of it. Let me tell you, me and Nozomi are picking up on it pretty good. Ehhh, cuando regresemos a México en algún momento en el futuro, podremos hablar español con fluidez a todas sus maravillosas personas. Prometo que!" The crowd then cheered. "Speaking of this being the first night, and speaking of performing to crowds in Latin America, we'd like to do a little song that we haven't done before, ever. If you're a fan of Queen, I'm sure you'll recognize it." Maki then stood next to her as Nico began playing the opening notes to the live version of Love Of My Life, pitched up a semitone. This immediately caused the crowd to erupt in cheers.

_Love of my life, you've hurt me..._

_You've broken my heart, and now you leave me... (Maki: Sing it!)_

_[Audience:] Love of my life, can't you see?!_

_[Audience:] Bring it back! Bring it back!_

_[Audience:] Don't take it away from me because, you don't know, what it means to me..._

Maki said to the audience, "That was awesome! Keep it up!"

_[Audience:] Love of my life, don't leave me..._

_[Audience:] You've stolen my love, you now desert me..._

_[Audience:] Love of my life, can't you see?!_

_Bring it back! Bring it back!_

_Don't take it away from me because, you don't know, what it means to me..._

_You will remember, when this is blown over, and everything's all by the way..._

_[Audience:] When I grow older, I will be there at your side, to remind you, how I still love you..._

_[Audience:] I still love you... (Maki: We love you, Freddie!)_

The crowd cheered loudly after she mentioned the name of Queen's late frontman and pianist, Freddie Mercury.

_Hurry back, hurry back, don't take it away from me because, you don't know, what it means to me..._

_[Audience:] Love of my life!_

_Love of my life!_

_Ohhhhhh, yeaaaah..._

Maki then bowed before saying, "Thank you! Thank you!" She then pointed up to the sky, symbolically reaching for the late frontman and pianist of Queen in Heaven. As she and Nico put the stool away, Honoka came back out as Kotori started up the next song on her synthesizer before Maki entered in on the piano. Then, the rest of the band jumped into the song.

_[All:] Donna ashita ga matteru ndarou? Nante ne!_

_([Honoka:] Boku wa!) [All:] Bokutachi wa sukoshi zetsu tesaguri shiteta_

_[All:] Hagemashi atte butsukari atta toki de sae_

_([Honoka:] Wakatteta!) [All:] Onnaji yume o miteru to!_

_[All:] Mezasu no wa! [Eli:] Ano taiyou!_

_[All:] Ookina! [Kotori:] Kagayaki o tsukamaeru!_

_[All:] Itsuka no! [Honoka:] Negai e to chikadzuite!_

_[All:] Hikari no naka de utau nda sensation!  
_

They then all jumped into the chorus of the song, which was KiRa-KiRa Sensation.

_[All:] Kiseki sore wa ima sa koko nanda!_

_[All:] Minna no omoi ga michibiita basho nanda!_

_[All:] Dakara hontou ni ima o tanoshinde!_

_[All:] Minna de kanaeru monogatari yume no story!  
_

_[Umi:] Mabushi ne! [Maki:] Ii ne! [Nozomi:] Oide yo!_

_[Hanayo:] Ureshii ne! [Nico:] Ii ne! [Rin:] Motto ne!_

_[All:] Hitotsu ni nare kokoro… KiRa-KiRa!!_

For the previous section, Kotori shifted Umi, Maki, and Nozomi's vocals to the left and Hanayo, Nico, and Rin's vocals to the right for their short solo lines before quickly switching them all back to stereo.

_[All:] Kyou mo ouen o kansha shiteru yo tte ne!_

_([Eli:] Kimi to!) [All:] Kimi tachi to kataritai yorokobi no chouten!_

_[All:] Kotoba dake ja tsutae kirenai yo dousuru?  
_

_([Kotori:] Konna toki!) [All:] Utau yo utau shikanai!_

_[Hanayo:] Hitori zutsu! [Nozomi:] Tobidashite!_

_[Nico:] Nidoto nai! [Rin:] Shunkan o tsukamaeru!_

_[Maki:] Itsuka no! [Umi:] Negai goto oboeteru?_

_[All:] Hikari no naka de odorou yo sensation!_

As with earlier, Kotori shifted the vocals between left and right.

_[All:] Boku to kimi de kita yo koko made!_

_[All:] Minna no omoi ga todoita yo arigatou!_

_[All:] Tsui ni issho ni kita yo tanoshimou_

_[All:] Minna de kanaeru monogatari honki story!_

_[Honoka/Hanayo/Nozomi:] Mabushi ne! [Umi/Maki/Eli:] Ii ne! [Kotori/Nico/Rin:] Kocchi da!_

_[Kotori/Nico/Rin:] Ureshii ne! [Umi/Maki/Eli:] Ii ne! [Honoka/Hanayo/Nozomi:] Motto da!_

_[All:] Owaranai de yume wa! KiRa-KiRa! KiRa-KiRa!_

Honoka then addressed the audience midway through the song, saying, "C'mon, everyone! Let's go!"

_[All:] Hai! Hai! Yume wa! Yume wa! Owaranai!_

A guitar solo by Nozomi followed, bridging the song to the final section.

_[Hanayo/Nozomi:] Hitori zutsu! [Honoka:] Tobidashite!_

_[Umi/Maki/Eli:] Nidoto nai! [Honoka:] Shunkan o tsukamaeru!_

_[Kotori/Rin/Nico:] Itsuka no! [Honoka:] Negai goto oboeteru?_

_[Honoka:] Hikari no naka de odorou yo Sensation!  
_

_[Audience:] Hai! Hai!_

_[All:] Boku to kimi de kita yo koko made!_

_[All:] Minna no omoi ga todoita yo arigatou!_

_[All:] Tsui ni issho ni kita yo tanoshimou_

_[All:] Minna de kanaeru monogatari honki story!_

_[All:] Kiseki sore wa ima sa koko nanda!_

_[All:] Minna no omoi ga michibiita basho nanda!_

_[All:] Dakara hontou ni ima o tanoshinde!_

_[All:] Minna de kanaeru monogatari yume no story!  
_

_[All:] Mabushi ne! Ii ne! Oide yo!_

_[All:] Ureshii ne! Ii ne! Motto ne!_

_[All:] Hitotsu ni nare kokoro… KiRa-KiRa!!_

As the song closed out with a drum fill by Hanayo, the crowd cheered and applauded. Maki approached the audience from her piano as she said to them, "You guys feeling alright?!" As the crowd cheered in response, she replied, "Alright, good! Now, this next one was never performed live until this tour, though it dates from our high school days. This is more of a soft rock composition. Hey, Umi, mind explaining this one to our fine audience?"

"Sure thing," Umi replied. "Hola, Mexico! Now, this next one was written as a collaboration by me and Nozomi. As Maki said, it was never done live until this year. I hope you enjoy a little song called Datte Datte Aa Mujou!"

Then, as the crowd cheered, Umi began on the guitar and Nozomi backing her. The shamisen in the original song had been replaced with an acoustic guitar played by Nico. Maki also began playing the piano, giving her mic to a stage hand. Kotori loaded up pyrotechnics and began playing a synthesized violin on her keyboard. Eli then moved in to her mic to start off.

_[Eli] Ima ga itoshii no yo..._

_[Rin] Sadame ni sekasarete..._

_[Umi] dakishimeru shunkan ni wakare no kehai..._

_[Kotori/Nozomi/Honoka] Matteru zutto matteru..._

_[Kotori/Nozomi/Honoka] Samayou kotoba-tachi..._

_[Kotori/Nozomi/Honoka] Kesanai de to kaze no naka de tashikameru mune no atsusa..._

_[Nico] Shinjita mono wo motome... [Hanayo] Chi no hate made yuku hi..._

_[Maki] Tomerarenu iki kata wo... [Nico/Hanayo/Maki] Tsuranuku deshou?_

_[Nico/Hanayo/Maki] Tada hitori watashi wa inori wo sasageru!_

Rin quickly ran to Maki as they switched places, with Rin taking over the piano and Maki moving freely about with her mic.

_Aa mujou kono sekai wa kanashimi ni michiteru..._

_Sore demo ii_   _deaeta koto ga yorokobi na no... sou deshou?_

_[Nico/Hanayo/Maki] Dakara makenaide... Kokoro wo magenaide... Hohoenda anata ni wa wakare no kakugo..._

_[Umi/Rin/Eli] Mattete zutto mattete... Hitomi ga kataru no ne... Omoide no basho de matsu wa itsuka kaeru sono toki made..._

_[Honoka] Donna ashita ga mieru? [Nozomi] Sou ne kibou no ashita... [Kotori] Tomerarenu iki kata de..._

_[Kotori/Nozomi/Honoka] Susumu no deshou? Tada hitori watashi wa yukue wo mimamoru!_

This time, Honoka ran over to Rin and traded places with her, allowing Rin to freely move about with her mic while Honoka played the piano.

_Aa mujou demo sekai wa shiawase wo nozonderu..._

_Datte datte deai no imi wo kanjitai no... aa mujou!_

Umi then played a guitar solo to bridge the gap. As the slow and heartfelt solo continued, she smiled and looked out over the fawning audience, who cheered her on. Then, right before it ended, Honoka and Maki traded places at the piano.

 _[Umi] Aa mujou_ _kono sekai wa kanashimi ni michiteru..._

_[Rin] Sore demo ii... [Eli] Deaeta koto ga... [Umi/Rin/Eli] Yorokobi na no... sou deshou?_

_Aa mujou demo sekai wa shiawase wo nozonderu..._

_Datte datte deai no imi wo kanjitai no... aa mujou!_

As the song closed out, Nico put away the acoustic guitar and got ready for the next song, with Umi closing he song out with a riff. Umi bowed and said, "Arigatou! Gracias! Thank you!"

Maki then got up from the piano and spoke to the audience as Nico tuned her guitar. "Alright... Now, this... This next one is a number from News Of The World, for anyone familiar with it. Are you familiar with an album called News Of The World?!" The crowd went wild in response. "Good! I like to hear that. This next one is a somewhat deep cut from it. This is a number written by Brian May, and it's called It's Late!" Nico then began to play the intro to the song.

_[Maki] You say you love me... And I hardly know your name..._

_[Maki:] And if I say I love you in the candlelight... There's no one but myself to blame..._

_[Rin] But there's something inside that's turning my mind away..._

_[Rin:] Oh, how I could love you... [Maki/Rin:] If I could let you stay!_

Then, Hanayo, Eli, Nico, Umi, and Nozomi all played their instruments 5 times to the beat of the song, with Hanayo smashing her cymbals those 5 times. Then, the chorus began.

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] It's late! [Maki:] And I'm bleeding deep inside!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] It's late! [Rin:] Is it just my sickly pride?_

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] Too late! [Maki:] Even now the feeling seems to steal away!  
_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] So late! [Rin:] Though I'm crying I can't help but hear you say!_

_[ALL:] It's late, it's late, it's late, but not too late!_

_[Maki:] The way you love me... Is the sweetest love around..._

_[Maki:] But after all this time, the more I'm trying, the more I seem to let you down..._

_[Rin:] Now you tell me you're leaving, and I just can't believe it's true..._

_[Rin:] Oh, you know that I can love you... Though I know I can't be true...  
_

_[Maki/Rin:] Oh you made me love you... Don't tell me that we're through!_

Again, 5 notes and cymbal clashes signalled the start of the chorus.

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] It's late! [Maki:] And it's driving me so mad!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] It's late! [Rin:] Yes I know, but don't try to tell me that it's!_

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] Too late! [Maki:] Save our love! You can't turn out the lights!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] So late! [Rin:] I've been wrong but I'll learn to be right!_

_[ALL:] It's late, it's late, it's late, but not too late!_

_[Maki:] I've been so long! [Rin:] You've been so long! [Maki/Rin:] We've been so long... Trying to work it out!_

_[Maki:] I ain't got long! [Rin:] You ain't got long! [ALL:] We gotta know what this life is all about!_

As Nico played the solo, the audience clapped along. By now, due to the exposure given to it by μ’s, the song had become much more well-known. Then, the song shifted in tone as Nozomi joined in the solo.

_[Maki:] Too late! [Rin:] Too late! [Maki/Rin:] Much too late!_

After having done so successfully many times, Maki let out a whistle-register-level scream. The move had originally surprised the band when it was first done, but now, they had gotten used to it.

_[Maki:] You're staring at me... With suspicion in your eye..._

_[Maki:] You say what game are you playing? What's this that you're saying? I know that I can't reply..._

_[Rin:] If I take you tonight, is it making my life a lie?_

_[Rin:] Oh you make me wonder..._ _[Rin/Maki:] Did I live my life alright?!_

This time, only 2 notes and cymbal clashes were played to signal the final chorus.

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] It's late! [Maki:] And it's time to set me free!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] It's late! [Rin:] Yes I know, but there's no way it has to be!_

_[ALL BUT MAKI:] Too late! [Maki:] So let the fire take our bodies this night!_

_[ALL BUT RIN:] So late! [Rin:] So let the waters take our guilt into the tide!_

_[ALL:] It's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late!_

_[Maki/Rin:] It's all too late..._

Then, the song picked up in intensity for the final time for about half a minute. At the very end, Rin let out an even higher scream. Then, a drum fill by Hanayo was followed by a clash of cymbals, ending the 6 and a half minute rocker to thunderous applause. Rin bowed with the rest of the band and said, "Thank you! That was wonderful! Now, this is a song that you may be familiar with if you've ever seen the movie Baby Driver. This is an even deeper cut that features some awesome guitar work. It is simply known as Brighton Rock!"

The song, which primarily featured Rin but also featured Honoka on lead vocals with lower notes, then started with Nozomi on lead guitar playing a hard riff that led into Hanayo on the drums.

_Happy little day! Jimmy went away! Met his little Jenny on a public holiday!_

_A happy pair they made! So decorously laid! 'Neath the gay illuminations all along the promenade!_

_It's so good to know there's still a little magic in the air! I'll weave my spell!_

Then, Honoka took the role of "Jimmy," and Rin took the role of "Jenny" in the song.

 _[Honoka:] "Jenny will you stay? Tarry with me pray! Nothing 'ere need come between us! Tell me love, what_ _do you say?!"_

_[Rin:] "Oh no I must away to my Mum in disarray if my mother should discover how I spent my holiday!"_

_[Honoka/Rin:] It would be of small avail to talk of magic in the air! I'll say farewell!_

_[ALL:] O Rock of Ages, do not crumble, love is breathing still!_

_[ALL:] O Lady Moon, shine down a little people magic if you will!_

After the last line, the song turned into a guitar solo. As Nozomi, Umi, and Nico slowly became the only people left on stage, they began to playfully compete with each other on the guitar. At one point, Nozomi decided to randomly throw in a bit of Frère Jacques, causing Nico to then start playing a little bit of the intro to the Jimi Hendrix classic House Burning Down, eliciting applause and cheers from quite a few people in the audience. Umi decided to top both of them with a segment of the traditional Japanese song Sakura after Nico finished.

Backstage, Honoka talked on the phone to her younger sister Yukiho. "Hey, Yukiho-chan! What's up? You called earlier."

"Oh, hey," she replied in an excited tone of voice. "You'll never guess what just happened to me and Alisa."

Honoka, wondering what she was talking about, asked her, "What is it?"

"Leah and Sarah Kazuno offered us the bass and drum positions in Saint Snow!" Yukiho was giddy with glee. "Can you believe it?!"

"No way," Honoka replied with a wide grin on her face. "They did?! Are you gonna take it?"

"Hell yeah," Yukiho replied. "Of course! I'll be on the bass, and Alisa will be the drummer."

"That's awesome!" Honoka then turned to the rest of the band plus Aqours. "Hey guys! My sister Yukiho and Eli's sister Alisa got offered the bassist and drummer spots in Saint Snow!"

Eli turned around upon hearing her sister's name. "Huh? My sister is what?"

"That's awesome," Hanayo replied energetically. "They'll do great in Saint Snow!"

"Saint Snow?" Eli was now deeply confused. "What is she doing with them?"

"She and Yukiho are joining them," Honoka replied as she handed the phone to Eli. "Talk to my sister to find out more."

As Eli chatted with Yukiho on the phone, Mari hung up on her cellphone and sighed in annoyance. Rin noticed and asked her, "Hey, what's up?"

"Well," Mari replied as she shrugged. "I just got word back from home that there was a small fire at Uranohoshi. It's out now, but it did fuck up a kitchen. When we get back to Japan, I'm gonna have to drive back to Uchiura and figure that whole thing out."

"Oof," Rin replied before she drank some water out of a bottle and wiped sweat off of her forehead. "That isn't good."

Yoshiko asked her, "There was a fire at the school? How bad?" Ruby and Hanamaru also listened in.

"Not bad," Mari replied. "The school is okay. It just destroyed a kitchen."

"Thank God," Yoshiko replied. "I knew my little demons there would keep it safe from destruction." She then did her Yohane pose, causing Hanamaru to laugh.

"Ah, Yoshiko-chan, you still amuse me," Hanamaru replied, causing Yoshiko to laugh as well.

After several more minutes, μ's slowly began to reenter the stage. Hanayo and Eli reentered first, quietly taking their positions. Then, Nozomi ended the guitar solo section with a short riff that was followed by Eli and Hanayo jumping into the song. Then, a blast of pyrotechnics accompanied Honoka and Rin triumphantly returning to the stage.

_[Rin:] Jenny pines away, writes a letter everyday! "We must ever be together! Nothing can my love erase!"_

_[Honoka:] "Oh no I'm compromised! I must apologize, if my lady should discover how I spent my holidays!"_

_[Rin/Honoka:] Oooooh... Oooooh..._

Then, the song ended with an uptempo riff by Nozomi as Rin and Honoka danced on stage. The song closed out to thunderous applause. Nozomi said on her mic, "Arigatou! Arigatou! Gracias! Now, the next song on our list is a softer one. It was written by a subgroup of μ’s known as Lily White. This is called Your Autumn Sky Is Distant, which should roughly translate into Tu Cielo Otoñal Está Distante, or Aki no Anata no Sora Tooku!" Nozomi then began playing the intro of the song as Nico and Umi played acoustic guitars to back her up. Then, Nozomi, Rin, and Umi all got ready.

_[Rin]: Doushite toori kaze shimiru no deshou... Doushite yuuyake ga setsunai no deshou..._

_[Nozomi]: Aki iro konoha ni wa watashi no koi ga... Chiru youna yokan ga aru kara...  
_

_[Umi]: Watashi no koe wa todokimasu ka? Toikaketa sora de uranau ai no meikyuu!  
_

_[Umi]: Suki nara! [Rin/Nozomi]: Suki nara! [Umi]: Suki dato! [Rin/Nozomi]: Suki dato!_

_[ALL]: Dakishimete kudasai... Hakkiri shiritai anata no honshin!  
_

Kotori had used the organ function on her keyboard as a backing track for the song, while Maki also played the piano.

_[Nozomi]: Sou desu mizugi ato kienai no desu... Sou desu sandaru ga shimaenai no desu..._

_[Umi]: Natsuiro omoide ga watashi no koi ne... Futari no kisetsu yo mou ichido..._

_[Rin]: Watashi wa ima mo aitai yamai... Atsui kokoro ga kurushii ai no meikyuu!  
_

_[Rin]: Dame demo! [Umi/Nozomi]: Dame demo! [Rin]: Dame janai! [Rin/Nozomi]: Dame janai!_

_[ALL]: Mata hajimemashou... Yappari anata ga watashi no unmei!_

Again, a few lines of spoken word were cut from the song in favor of a bigger focus on an acoustic guitar solo by Nico, who stood beside Nozomi. As the two played, Nico smiled as she looked into the crowd, who clearly enjoyed the slower and softer song, even after the heaviness of Brighton Rock.

_[Rin/Umi/Nozomi]: Watashi no koe wa todokimasu ka? Watashi wa ima mo aitai sugu ni aitai!_

_[Nozomi]: Suki nara! [Rin]: Suki nara! [Nozomi]: Suki dato! [Umi]: Suki dato!_

_[ALL]: Dakishimete kudasai... Hakkiri shiritai anata no honshin!_

_[Umi]: Dame demo! [Rin]: Dame demo! [Umi]: Dame janai! [Nozomi]: Dame janai!_

_[ALL]: Mata hajimemashou... [Umi]: Yappari anata ga! [ALL]: Watashi no unmei!_

Then, the song ended, and the crowd applauded the band. Umi said on her microphone, "Thank you! You're all wonderful, all of you!"

Maki then got up from the piano as Nico put her acoustic guitar away and made her way to the piano. "Hello once more, you beautiful people! Now, this... This next song is off of the Queen album The Game. It features Nico Yazawa on the piano instead of the guitar." The audience then cheered as Nico bowed before taking her seat. "This is a Brian May composition called Save Me. It was played a lot when Queen came here back in 1981. If you saw them back then, you may be familiar with it." As the audience cheered, Nico began playing a few notes on the piano to signal the start of the song, which was upped by 1 semitone.

_It started off so well_

_They said we made a perfect pair_

_I clothed_   _myself in your glory and you love_

_How I loved you... How I cried..._

_The years of care and loyalty_

_Were nothing but a sham it seems_

_The years belie we lived a lie  
_

_"I'll love you 'til I die..."_

Then, Hanayo segued the band into the chorus with a few hits of the hi-hat as Nozomi and Umi joined in on the guitar.

_[Hanayo/Maki:] Save me! Save me! Save me!_

_[Maki:] I can't face this life alone!_

_[All:] Save me! Save me! Save me!_

_[Maki:] I'm naked and I'm far from home!_

The song then moved into the second verse, with the whole band playing now.

_The slate will soon be clean,_

_I'll erase the memories,_

_To start again with somebody new,_

_Was it all wasted_

_All that love?_

_I hang my head and I advertise,  
_

_A soul for sale or rent,  
_

_I have no heart, I'm cold inside,  
_

_I have no real intent...  
_

For this chorus, Nico jumped up from the piano and grabbed her electric guitar as Umi switched to an acoustic guitar.

_[Hanayo/Maki:] Save me! Save me! Save me!_

_[Maki:] I can't face this life alone!_

_[All:] Save me! Save me! [Maki:] Ohhhhh!_

_[Maki:] I'm naked and I'm far from home!_

Maki then moved to the piano to play it as Umi played a short acoustic guitar solo and Kotori played some background synths. Nozomi then played a few bars on her guitar as Maki began the last section of the song from her piano.

_Each night I cry. I still believe the lie!_

_I'll love you 'till I die!_

Maki then let out a short scream as Nico played a short guitar solo. In the middle of it, Maki let out yet another scream, this time hitting the whistle register and startling the band as a whole. Then, once the solo ended, Maki jumped up from the piano and grabbed her mic stand from a stagehand.

_[Hanayo:] Save me! [Maki:] Yeah! [Hanayo:] Save me! [Maki:] Ohhhhh! Save me!_

_[Maki:] Don't let me face my life alone!_

_[All:] Save me! Save me! [Maki:] Oooooooooooh!_

_[Maki:] I'm naked and I'm far from hoooooooome!_

Maki then bowed as she passed her mic to Honoka, who was accompanied by Kotori and Umi, the latter of whom took Nico's acoustic guitar. Honoka then addressed the audience, saying, "How are you all doing tonight so far?!" The crowd replied with a cheer as she waved back. "Good, good. Now, this next song was from our high school days, and it means a lot to all of us. It may be in Japanese, but I'm sure the message will still come across to anyone who's ever had to deal with growing apart from friends. It's a song about how the present won't last forever, so it makes you want to treasure everyone, or something along those lines. This is called Sentimental Steps!"

Maki began the song on the piano as Kotori returned to her keyboard and computer to play a ticking clock sound effect for a few bars.

_[All:] Surechigatte mo wakaranai kurai_

_[All:] Otona ni natta toki ni_

_[All:] Natsukashisa e kawaru no kana… nante kangae teta_

Hanayo then led the band in with a soft and short drum fill as Kotori played the keyboard. This song was much less guitar-driven and softer.

_[2Y:] Tsuneni tonari ni irukara_

_[2Y:] Sore ga atarimae sugiru koto_

_[1Y:] Nayan dari warattari no mainichi ga kitto tsudzuiteku_

_[3Y:] Tanoshii to omou ima o hozon shitai kimochi_

_[3Y:] Hajimete kanjitanda yo_

Then, the whole band joined in as Nico and Nozomi began playing a soft rhythm on their guitars as Umi strummed along on the acoustic guitar.

_[All:] Surechigatte mo wakaranai kurai_

_[All:] Kimi mo boku mo otona ni natta koro ga souzou dekinai_

_[All:] Datte zutto issho dakara_

Maki began a piano solo to segue into the next verse as Honoka led the audience into a clap-along of the song. "There you go! You got it!"

_[1Y:] Mienai dake de hontou wa sukoshi zutsu seichou shiterutte_

_[3Y:] Tane o umeta basho kara wa_

_[3Y:] Chiisana happa ga utai dasu_

_[2Y:] Kisetsu ga itsunomanika nuri kaete itta_

_[2Y:] Machi no iro ni kidzuita yo_

Unlike the last chorus, this one had only s short break in between it and the previous verse.

_[All:] Komorebi no naka yonde mita kedo_

_[All:] Kaze ga fui ni kakikesu_

_[All:] Isshun nandaka setsunasa e to keshiki ga yureugoita_

_[3Y:] Ki no seida yo ne itsumo no minna da ne_

_[1Y:] Fuzakete kake ashi korobi souda_

_[2Y:] Matte matte doko ka yotte kaeru?_

The next chorus began only with Honoka as all of the spotlights on stage centered on her, followed by Umi and Kotori as the spotlights moved to them next.

_[Honoka:] Surechigatte mo wakaranai kurai  
_

_[Umi:] Kimi mo boku mo otona ni_

_[Kotori:] Natta koro ga souzou dekinai_

Then, all three of the second-years joined in, followed by the last chorus of the song.

_[2Y:] Datte zutto issho dakara_

_[All:] Komorebi no naka yonde mitakedo_

_[All:] Kaze ga fui ni kakikesu_

_[All:] Isshun nandaka setsunasa e to keshiki ga yureugoita_

_[All:] Keshiki ga yureugoita_

The song then ended with a solitary Maki on the piano as well as the same clock ticking sound effect from Kotori. Once the song ended, the audience cheered, and the stage went dark as the members of the band rearranged themselves. Kotori grabbed Umi's electric guitar, Umi grabbed Eli's bass guitar, Eli moved to the drums, and Hanayo took Maki's bottomless mic stand as she stood with Rin. Honoka took Kotori's spot at her keyboard and computer. The crowd wondered what magic the band would bring them next.

Eli then began playing a drum beat for a few bars as the lights began to slowly turn back on before Honoka played a few notes on the keyboard. After a few more notes and bars, the audience recognized what the song was and cheered. Then, Honoka played different notes on the keyboard, confirming what the next song would be for the audience. After an introduction that lasted for a minute, Honoka sang into a vocoder microphone, "Radio..." Then, Hanayo began singing Radio Ga Ga, pitched up by two semitones to accommodate her high voice. 

_I'd sit alone and watch your lights_

_My only friend through teenage nights_

_And everything I had to know_

_I heard it on my radio..._

_You gave them all those old time stars_

_Through wars of worlds invaded by Mars_

_You made 'em laugh, you made 'em cry_

_You made us feel like we could fly..._

Then, Hanayo and Rin sang together.

_So don't become some background noise_

_A backdrop for the girls and boys_

_Who just don't know or just don't care_

_And just complain when you're not there..._

_You had the time! You had the power!_

_You've yet to have, your finest hour!_

_Radio! [Honoka:] Radio..._

Then, the entire band joined in in singing as the audience began to rhythmically clap to the song in near-perfect unison.

_All we hear is_

_Radio ga ga_

_Radio goo goo_

_Radio ga ga_

_All we hear is_

_Radio ga ga_

_Radio blah blah_

_[Rin:] Radio, what's new?_

_[Hanayo:] Radio, someone still loves you!_

Then, Umi played a a short bass rhythm for a few bars before the second verse began with Rin singing.

_We watch the shows, we watch the stars_

_On videos for hours and hours_

_We hardly need to use our ears_

_How music changes through the years..._

Then, Rin and Hanayo joined in for the next section of the verse, as they did with the last verse.

_Let's hope you never leave old friend_

_Like all good things on you we depend_

_So stick around 'cause we might miss you_

_When we grow tired of all this visual!_

_You had the time! You had the power!_

_You've yet to have, your finest hour!_

_Radio! [Honoka:] Radio..._

As with before, the whole band joined in on the chorus as the audience rhythmically clapped along. Hanayo gleefully took command of the audience, raising her fist to them as she sang.

_All we hear is_

_Radio ga ga_

_Radio goo goo_

_Radio ga ga_

_All we hear is_

_Radio ga ga_

_Radio goo goo_

_Radio ga ga_

_All we hear is_

_Radio ga ga_

_Radio blah blah_

_[Rin:] Radio, what's new?_

_[Hanayo:] Radio! Someone still loves you!_

The second chorus was followed by a long bass solo by Umi as the audience clapped along, followed by a section in which Hanayo sang the song title a few times.

_Radio ga ga!_

_Radio ga ga!_

_Radio ga ga!_

After a solo by Nozomi, the song then entered the final chorus with Rin and Hanayo.

_[Rin/Hanayo:] You had the time! You had the power!_

_[Rin/Hanayo:] You've yet to have, your finest hour!_

_[Rin/Hanayo:] Radio! [Honoka:] Radio..._

_[All:] All we hear is_

_[All:] Radio ga ga_

_[All:] Radio goo goo_

_[All:] Radio ga ga_

_[All:] All we hear is_

_[All:] Radio ga ga_

_[All:] Radio blah blah_

_[Rin:] Radio, what's new?_

_[Hanayo:] Radio! Someone still loves you!_

Once the song ended, Hanayo said to the audience, "Thank you! Thank you! Arigatou gozaimashita!" The audience cheered her and Rin on as the two hugged and waved at the audience. "All of you! You're all wonderful!"


	16. Revel in the Crowds

_**January 6, 2014** _

Yukiho and Shinzo walked to Otonokizaka in the morning first along the snow-filled streets of Tokyo. As they held hands and walked past a variety of shops, Yukiho said to him, "Say, Shinzo-kun..."

The boy replied to her, "What is it?"

"I don't know if I brought this up to you earlier," Yukiho replied as she pulled her phone out and showed him a date on the calendar app. "But I gotta go away on a school trip later this week, so I'm gonna have to go to school an hour and a half earlier."

"I don't mind getting up that early," he replied as he shrugged. "What time are you coming back?"

"We should be back at 8 at night," the redhead replied as she put her phone away. "Do you mind meeting me back at the school gate then?"

"Of course I don't mind," he replied as he smiled. "I'll stay up all night if I have to. I mean, you are my girlfriend."

"Well, duh," she replied. "I'd do the same for you, Shinzo-kun. It's not like I'd just abandon you." They both then laughed. She then got a phone call. As she grabbed her phone out of her pocket and flipped it up, she saw that it was Alisa. "Excuse me for one second." She then answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Hey," Alisa replied in a tired tone of voice before she yawned. "Are you on your way to school yet?"

"Yeah. I'm with Shinzo-kun. What's up?"

"Well," Alisa replied as she gathered her thoughts. "Have... Have I ever come across to you as someone who likes..."

Yukiho, confused, asked her, "Likes what?"

"Well, recently, I've been eyeing out Yonemura-san from our class, and I know she's a lesbian, so..."

"Wait, really?" Yukiho replied. "You like girls, too?" Shinzo looked over and wondered what was going on.

"Yeah..." Alisa then nervously laughed. "I've been meaning to tell you guys that... Eli-oneechan already knows." She then sighed. "So, Yonemura-san is single right now, and I'd really like to ask her out, but I don't wanna fuck it up."

"You'll be fine," Yukiho replied as she smiled. "Alisa-chan, be normal and just ask her, "Hey, would you like to go on a date with me?" I'm sure she knows who you are, so it's not like a complete stranger is asking her out. Act completely normal, just as if it was a boy, like me and Shinzo-kun. After all, at the end of the day, it's just like a boy and a girl going out. There's nothing different about it aside from the fact that it's two girls."

"Thanks," Alisa replied, relieved. "I really needed to get that off my chest, Yukiho-chan. I'll see you at school. Oh, and tell your boyfriend I said hi. Bye!"

"Bye," Yukiho replied before she hung up. She then turned to Shinzo. "Alisa likes girls, by the way. She says hi."

"I had a feeling she did," he replied as he put two and two together. "She wants to ask a girl out in your class?"

"Yeah. I told her to just do it. There's nothing to lose, especially since the girl in question is not only single, but also a full-blown lesbian. She doesn't have short hair or anything at all. We knew it back in junior high when she used to date this other girl that broke up with her a few months ago."

"Is Alisa-chan gay, too?"

Yukiho shrugged. "Actually, I got no clue. All she told me is that she likes girls. I don't know if boys come in that package too, like with Nozomi-chan being bi." Yukiho then realized what she had said. "Okay, that just came out really wrong." They both then laughed. "By the way, don't start doing that until I tell you it's okay, right?"

"I won't," Shinzo replied. "We're gonna keep it wrapped up for a while, Yukiho-chan, don't worry."

* * *

  _ **January 12, 2020**_

"We're gonna have to settle this somehow," said Leah as she met with her sister at home as they wrote down notes. "We can't just have two people doing all the instruments, after all. You saw what µ's and Aqours are doing, right?"

"I am," Sarah replied as she redid her ponytail. After she was finished, she continued with, "Playing our own instruments is the way forward." She then continued to write down lyrics for a new song. "When we get to the recording booth, we'll be put to the ultimate test. Not only do we have our old songs to properly record, but new songs, too."

"I'm confident we can overcome this," her younger sister replied. "Once I graduate high school, we'll have a lot more time." She then chuckled. "I'll finally get to do what I love most musically aside from sing: play the guitar. You have no idea how much I wanted to just grab the nearest guitar and just shred it when a solo occurred in a song while we were on stage."

Sarah laughed. "Yeah, that's you, alright." She then yawned. "Alright, let's keep going over our plans for our bassist and drummer."

* * *

_**Mexico City, First Night, 2020** _

"That was wonderful," Rin replied as she checked out the crowd. "Now, we have one more song that requires Hanayo's presence away from her drums. This is a song that means the world to me, in fact. This is called "Love Wing Bell!""

The song then began with synthesized violins by Kotori and the drums by Eli as Maki stood beside Rin and Hanayo. Honoka played the piano in her place. The song had a more rockier feel to it, but was still loved nonetheless. Nico used the acoustic guitar, while Nozomi continued on the electric guitar.

_[Hanayo/Eli:] Akogare no shunkan wo mukaeru toki ga kita yo!_

_[Hanayo/Eli:] Ii no ka na konna ni mo shiawase kanjiteru yo!_

_[Maki/Nico:] Hikari ni sasowarete aruki dasu kono michi wa!_

_[Maki/Nico:] Mirai e to tsudzuiteru kibou ni michiteru ne!_

_[Rin/Nozomi:] Dare demo kawaiku nareru? kitto nareru yo!_

_[Rin/Nozomi:] Konna watashi de sae mo... (Audience: Henshin!)_

The song then transitioned into the chorus. Playing behind them was the video of the first ever performance of the song back in 2013.

 

_[1Y/3Y:] Dakara ne ageru yo genki sono mama no egao de!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Utaou! Utaou! Ageru yo genki!_ _Nayamanaide yume wo miyou!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Daisuki na minna to naraba atarashii koto dekiru!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Umare kawarou korekara motto hirogaru hazu!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Saa ashita ga miete kuru!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Love wing! Love wing!_

The song then transitioned back into the verses with a short and soft guitar fill by Nozomi, with Maki and Nico singing first.

_[Maki/Nico:] Tamerai nugisuteru BIN to sesuji wo nobasou!_

_[Maki/Nico:]_   _Iin dane jaa koko de fushigi wo tanoshinjae!_

_[Rin/Nozomi:] Hikari ni terasareta jibun ga shiranai jibun!_

_[Rin/Nozomi:] Kyou dake demo ichiban suteki de itai na!_

_[Hanayo/Eli:] Minna mo ne kawaiku narou! zettai nareru yo!_

_[Hanayo/Eli:] Datte watashi de sae mo... henshin!_

_[1Y/3Y:] souda yo onnano ko ni wa Princess no hi ga kuru!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Ureshii! Ureshii! Mahou mitai na!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Odoroki kara yume no ko dou!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Daisuki wa taisetsu nanda subarashii koto dekiru!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Umare kawarou tsugi no Stage sagashi ni ikou!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Saa ashita wa donna watashi?_

_[1Y/3Y:} Love bell! Love bell!_

The rest of the band then backed away from Rin as she took her solo spot and walked to the front of the stage, waving at the crowd. Then, as the song became silent, Rin began a vocal improv section.

_[Rin:] Heeey! (Audience: Heeey!)_

_[Rin:] Ohwaaaaaayoh! (Audience: Ohwaaaaaayoh!)_

_[Rin:] Iiiiiidaaaaaaanaaaaadoooooo! (Audience: Iiiiiidaaaaaaanaaaaadoooooo!)_

_[Rin:] Yeah, yeah! (Audience: Yeah, yeah!) Yeah, yeah! (Audience: Yeah, yeah!)_

_[Rin:] Yeah, yeah! (Audience: Yeah, yeah!) Yeah, yeah! (Audience: Yeah, yeah!)_

Then, Eli began playing on the drums, this time playing a different song entirely as the rest of the band entered. Rin would sing this part by herself as Nozomi played lead guitar on the funky-sounding and bass-heavy tune, which was played a semitone higher than the original song. Rin then sang, "Woooo, yeah!"

_Take me to the room where the red's all red, take me out of my head's what I said!_

_Take me to the room where the green's all green, and from what I've seen it's hot, it's-a mean!  
_

_I'm gonna use my stack!_

_It's gotta be Mack!_

_Gonna get me on the track!_

_Gotta dragon on my back!_

Nozomi then shredded it on the guitar for a bit as Rin said to the crowd, "You'll all know what this is soon! Don't worry!"

_Take me to the room where the beat's all round, gonna eat that sound, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!_

_Take me to the room where the black's all white, and the white's all black, take me back to the shack!_

_She don't take no prisoners!_

_She gonna give me the business!_

_Got a dragon on my back!_

_Hey, hey, it's a dragon attack!_

Eli then played an intense drum solo for half a minute before Kotori led the band on a long and winding bass solo. Then, the section ended as Eli smashed the cymbals several times and Maki and Hanayo emerged out of the woodwork once more as the song transitioned away from Queen's Dragon Attack and back to Love Wing Bell with the restarting of the synthesized violins.

_[Rin:] Dakara ne ageru yo genki! [Hanayo:] S_ _ono mama no egao de!_

_[Rin:]_ _Utaou! Utaou! Ageru yo genki! [Maki:]_ _Nayamanaide yume wo miyou!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Daisuki wa taisetsu nanda subarashii koto dekiru!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Umare kawarou tsugi no Stage sagashi ni ikou!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Saa ashita wa donna watashi?_

_[1Y/3Y:] Love wing! Love bell!_

As the song closed out, Hanayo and Rin bowed as the band began to rearrange themselves to their old positions. Hanayo said to the crowd after she sat back down at her drum set, "Thank you, all of you!"

Honoka then took the center of stage, saying, "Alright... Now, this next one is another one from our high school days. It's called Donna Toki mo Zutto!" Maki then began on the piano shortly before the rest of the band joined in.

_[2Y:] Ureshii kara kimi ni ai ni ikou!_

_[1Y:] Sabishii kara kimi ni ai ni ikou! ([2Y/3Y:] Ai ni iku yo!)_

_[3Y:] Sonna kimochi ni naru nda! Susumu toki nayamu toki! Tsunagatte iru nda ne zutto!_

_[2Y:] Honki no! Yume de! [1Y:] Asu o! Tsukamu! [3Y:] Kitto dekiru yo kimi nara!_

Then, the song transitioned into the chorus.

_[All:] Tama ni wa yukkuri kimi no pace de!_

_[All:] Yaritai koto tachi mitsumete goran!_

_[All:] Sono ato ganbare! Zenryoku de ne!_

_[All:] Kibun ga harete oozora e maiagaru yo!  
_

_[All:] Donna toki datte kimi o mitsumeteru!_

Nico played what was originally a violin solo to bridge the gap between the chorus and the second verse on her guitar while Maki hammered away at the piano, bobbing her head back and forth.

_[3Y:] Tanoshii nara kimi no soba ni itai!_

_[2Y:] Kanashii nara kimi no soba ni itai! ([1Y:] Soba ni iru yo!)_

_[1Y:] Kotoba ja ienakute mo! Dakishimete miyou kana! Tsutaetai yo… daisuki datte!_

_[3Y:] Honki no! Yume wa! [2Y:] Choppiri! Nigai! [1Y:] Shigeki ni naru to waraou!_

_[All:] Yasashiku kibishiku hagemashi atte!_

_[All:] Omoi o negai o kanaete ikou!_

_[All:] Min'na de ganbaru! Zenryoku de ne!_

_[All:] Mirai no naka de kagayaite mitai nda yo!_

Then, the song quieted down as the only instrument left was Maki's piano.

_[2Y:] Tsuyoku nare! [3Y:] Jibun kara nigecha dame!_

_[1Y:] Tsuyoku nare! [2Y:] Aserazu ni uke irete jibun o!_

_[All:] Sore ga daijina nda!_

This time, Umi played the guitar solo that bridged the gap.

_[2Y:]_ _Tama ni wa yukkuri kimi no pace de!_

_[3Y:] Yaritai koto tachi mitsumete goran!_

Maki then shot up from the piano and grabbed her mic stand to join Honoka and Rin.

_[1Y:] Sono ato ganbare! Zenryoku de ne!_

_[All:] Kibun ga harete oozora e maiagaru yo!_

_[_ _All:] Donna toki datte kimi o mitsumeteru!_

_[Audience:] Ureshii kara aitai yo! Sabishii kara aitai yo! Tanoshii kanashii soshite! Aitaku naru nda!_

_[All:] Donna toki mo!_

The song then closed out to thunderous applause as Honoka, Maki, and Rin bowed and waved. Maki then said to the crowd, "Amazing, isn't it?! We wrote that song with the fact that Nozomi, Nico, abd Eli were gonna be graduating soon in the back of our heads, hence why we grouped up by year. Now, this... This next one still kinda tugs at the heartstrings for us, even though it's a happy-sounding song, since this was one of the last songs we ever sung as a school idol group. In fact, it's become sort of an anthem for the school idol groups that have followed the footsteps of us and many other great groups. This is called Sunny Day Song!" She then returned to the piano as the song began.

_[Umi/Hanayo/Eli:] Tanoshii ne konna yume! Egao de yorokobi utaou yo! Sore ga hajimari no aizu!_

_[Rin/Maki/Nozomi:] Ippo zutsu kimi kara ippo zutsu boku kara! Doko ka e ikitai kokoro no step!_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Nico:] Uketomete ageru koko de! Saisho wa sukoshi tameratte mo! Uketomeru basho ga arutte!  
_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Nico:] Motto motto shitte hoshiku naru yo… naru yo!  
_

Then, the song entered the energy-filled chorus.

_[All:] Sunny day song! Sunny day song! Takaku tobi agare!_

_[All:] Donna koto mo norikoe rareru ki ga suru yo!  
_

_[All:] Sunny day song! Sunny day song! Kuchi zusamu toki wa!  
_

_[All:] Ashita e no kitai ga fukurande ii kimochi!_

_[All:] SUNNY DAY Wow! Sun power!_

_[All:] SUNNY DAY Wow! Song power!  
_

_[Rin/Maki/Nozomi:] Genki deru konna yume! Arekore minna de katarou yo! Sore wa tsunagari no sign!  
_

_[Honoka/Kotori/Nico:] Nipome wa shikkari to sanpome wa daitan ni! Osorezu ikesou na yokan de dance!  
_

_[Umi/Hanayo/Eli:] Jibun kara te o nobashitara! Motto motto omoshiroku naru yo… naru yo!  
_

_[All:] Sunny day life! Sunny day life! Kagayaki ni narou!_

_[All:] Nante ieru ima no kibun o wakeaeba!_

_[All:] Sunny day life! Sunny day life! Kimi mo odori dasu!_

_[All:] Shiawase no yokan ni tsutsumare nandemo dekisou sa!_

Then, the song quieted down as Honoka took the center of stage.

_[Honoka:] Sunny day life! Sunny day life! Kagayaki ni narou!_

_[Maki/Umi:]_ _Nante ieru ima no kibun o wakeaeba!_

_[Honoka:]_ _Sunny day life! Sunny day life! Kimi mo odori dasu... Hey!_

Then, the song picked up again.

_[All:] Sunny day song! Sunny day song! Takaku tobi agare!_

_[All:] Donna koto mo norikoe rareru ki ga suru yo!  
_

_[All:] Sunny day song! Sunny day song! Kuchi zusamu toki wa!  
_

_[All:] Ashita e no kitai ga fukurande ii kimochi! ([Honoka:] Sing it!)_

_[All:] SUNNY DAY Wow! Sun power!_

_[Audience:] SUNNY DAY Wow! Song power!_

_[All:] SUNNY DAY Wow! Sun power!_

_[Audience:] SUNNY DAY Wow! Song power!_

Honoka then yelled out to the crowd as the song ended, "Thank you! Arigatou gozaimasu! ¡Gracias, México!" Then, the stage went dark as the audience cheered. After the cheering died down, the large crowd wondered if the concert had ended as they stared in anticipation.

Then, after the band rearranged itself, Honoka began playing the synthesizer as the lights slowly came back on. As the audience recognized the next song, they cheered loudly. Then, Hanayo emerged onto the stage as the song's intro ended and the rest of the band entered in. She was dressed in a pink sleeveless top, black heels, and shorts, and had a fake mustache on as she held her mic in one hand and pushed a vacuum in another, mimicking Freddie Mercury's look from the music video of the next song, which was pitched up two semitones.

_I want to break free! (Sing it!) [Audience:] I want to break free!_

_I want to break free from your lies! You're so self-satisfied! I don't need you!_

_I've got to break free!_

_[Audience:] God knows! [Hanayo:] God knows I want to break free!_

_[Audience:] I've fallen in love! I've fallen in love for the first time! [Hanayo:] And this time I know it's for real!_

_I've fallen in love!_

_[Rin/Hanayo/Maki:] God knows! [Hanayo:] God knows I've fallen in love!_

_It's strange but it's true! Yeah!_

_I can't get over the way you love me like you do!_

_But I have to be sure, when I walk OUT the door!_

_Oh, how I want to be free, baby!_

_Oh, how I want to freak free!_

_Oh, how I want to break free!_

Then, Umi began playing a guitar solo as Hanayo bowed and quickly ran backstage to change. As she continued along, the audience clapped along, most of them knowing every word to the song. Then, the solo transitioned to a synth solo by Honoka for a short while. Finally, at the end, Hanayo emerged onto the stage in her regular outfit that night.

_But life still goes on!_

_I can't get used to living without, living without, living without you, by my side!_

_I don't wanna live alone! Yeah!_

_[Audience:] But God knows! I've got to make it on my own!_

_So baby, can't you see?! I've got to break free!_

The song then closed out as Hanayo bowed. She then said to the cheering audience, "Thank you! Thank you! You all were amazing as always!" The stage lights then went dark once more as the band rearranged itself to their normal positions for the last time.

Maki said to Honoka as she gave her a portable mic stand, "You ready?"

"Yeah," Honoka replied as she nodded. She then gave a signal to Nozomi and Kotori to begin the next song. They both gave a thumbs up. Then, Nozomi gave a short slide on the guitar as the lights suddenly turned back on.

_Well, you're just 17! All you wanna do is disappear!_

_Yeah, you know what I mean! There's a lotta space between your ears!_

_The way that you touch! Don't feel nu nu nothing!_

_[Honoka/Maki/Rin:] Hey, hey hey hey! It was the DNA!_

_[Honoka/Maki/Rin:] Hey, hey, hey, hey! That made me this way!_

_Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_[Honoka/Maki/Rin:] Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_[All:] SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_[All:] SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_[All:] REEEEEEEEAL CARDIAC!_

_I feel so [All:] INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INARTICULATE!_

_Gotta feelin', gotta feelin', gotta feelin', like a paralyse!_

_It ain't no, it ain't no, it ain't no, it ain't no surprise!_

_Turn on the T.V. let it drip right down in your eyes!_ _  
_

_[Honoka/Maki/Rin:] Hey, hey hey hey! It was the DNA!_

_[Honoka/Maki/Rin:] Hey, hey, hey, hey! That made me this way!_

_Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_[Honoka/Maki/Rin:] Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_[All:] SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_[All:] SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_[All:] REEEEEEEEAL CARDIAC!_

_I feel so [All:] INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INAR, INARTICULATE!_

After that last line, Honoka began to crazily dance around on stage.

_Just how I feel!_

_[Honoka/Maki/Rin:] Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

Honoka then began to push over an amp on stage, assisted by a few kicks from Nico and some shoving from Maki. Once it toppled, Honoka got on top of it and began hitting it with her mic stand as the crowd cheered her on and chanted her name. Then, a short drum fill by Hanayo ensued.

_Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_[Honoka/Maki/Rin:] Do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel?_

_[All:] SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_[All:] SHEEEEEEEER HEART ATTACK!_

_[All:] REEEEEEEEAL CARDIAC!_

Then, the song stopped abruptly at the last line to thunderous applause as Honoka wiped sweat off of her forehead. "That was awesome! Maki, take the reigns!"

"You got it," Maki repled as she adjusted her piano microphone. "Alright... We are onto the last two songs of our concert. This next one is our most well-known high school era song. This is simply called  Snow Halation!" She then began playing the beginning on the piano.

_[ Honoka/Umi/Nozomi:]  Fushigi da ne ima no kimochi... Sora kara futte kita mitai..._

Then, Nozomi, Nico, and Umi all joined in on the guitar.

_ [Hanayo/Nico/Eli:] Tokubetsu na kisetsu no iro ga... Tokimeki wo miseru yo... _

_ [Kotori/Rin/Maki:] Hajimete deatta toki kara! _

_ [Kotori/Hanayo/Rin/Maki/Nico/Eli:] Yokan ni sawagu... Kokoro no melody! _

_ [Honoka/Umi/Nozomi:] Tomerarenai tomaranai! _

_ [All:] Naze! _

Maki quickly got up from her piano, her mic stand in hand, as she sang the chorus with the rest of the band.

_ Todokete setsunasa ni wa! _

_ Namae wo... Tsukeyou ka “Snow Halation!” _

_ Omoi ga kasanaru made! _

_ Matezu ni... Kuyashii kedo sukitte junjou! _

_ Binetsu no naka... Tameratte mo dame da ne! _

_ Tobikomu yuuki ni sansei... Mamonaku Start! _

Maki quickly ran to her piano and began playing it again after the chorus ended.

_ [Kotori/Rin/Maki:] Oto mo naku kehai mo naku... Shizuka ni unmei wa kawaru... _

_ [Hanayo/Nico/Eli:] Kore kara no mirai ni mune no kodou ga hayaku naru... _

_ [Kotori/Rin/Maki:] Tatoeba komatta toki ni wa! _

_ [Kotori/Hanayo/Rin/Maki/Nico/Eli:] Sugu kaketsukete... Dakishimetakute! _

_ [ Honoka/Umi/Nozomi:]  Doko ni ite mo doko demo! _

_ [All:] Fly High! _

Maki again got up from her piano for the second chorus.

_ Isoide itsu no ma ni ka! _

_ Ookiku... Narisugita “True Emotion!” _

_ Yume dake miteru you ja!  
_

_ Tsurai yo koibito wa kimitte iitai! _

_ Yasashii me ga... Tomadotteru iya da yo! _

_ Kono mama ikki ni aijou... Azukete Please! _

Then, the spotlights centered on Umi, who played a soft guitar solo in between the second and third choruses as the audience clapped on and Kotori triggered several smoke machines to activate on stage. Maki also returned to her piano for this section.

_ (Honoka: I want you to sing on my cue!) [Honoka:] Todokete setsunasa ni wa... _

_ [Honoka/Umi/Nozomi:] Namae wo tsukeyou ka! (Honoka: Go!) (Audience: SNOW HALATION!) _

Maki then got up from her piano again.

_ Omoi ga kasanaru made! _

_ Matezu ni... Kuyashii kedo sukitte junjou! _

_ Binetsu no naka... Tameratte mo dame da ne! _

_ Tobikomu yuuki ni sansei... (Honoka: One more time!) (Audience: Mamonaku Start!) _

Then, Maki returned to her piano to help close out the song. Once the song closed out, the audience cheered.

Nozomi then addressed the audience, saying to them, "¡Gracias, mis amigos! ¡Estuviste maravilloso esta noche! Now, this last song we would like to play tonight is from a Queen album called Sheer Heart Attack. It is sung mostly by Nishikino Maki. Its title describes what we hope  we've left you. We hope we've left you In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited!" The crowd then cheered as Maki began playing a long introduction on her piano as the audience cheered.

_It's so easy, but I can't do it..._    


_It's so risky, but I gotta chance it..._

_It's so funny, but there's nothing to laugh about..._

_My money, that's all you wanna talk about!_

_I can see, what, you, want me to be..._

_But I'm no fool!_

_It's in the lap of the Gods!_

_Woah, woah, la la la, woah!_

_I can see what you want me to be..._

_But I'm no fool!_

_There's no beginning, there's no ending..._

_There's no meaning, in my pretending..._

_But believe me, life goes on and on and on..._

_Forgive me, when I ask you where do I belong..._

_You say I... ([All but Maki:] You can do it!) Can't... ([All but Maki:] You can do it!) Set... (pAll but Maki:] You can do it! Go be free!) You free, from me..._

_But that's not true!_

Nico and Umi then joined Nozomi on the guitar as the song picked up intensity.

_It's in the lap of the Gods!_

_Woah, woah, la la la, woah!_

_I can see what you want me to be..._

_But I'm no fool!_

_ It's in the lap of the Gods! _

_ (All) Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ (All) Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

_ But that's not true! _

Maki then got up from her piano and grabbed her mic stand to continue singing, the audience clapping along.

_ It's in the lap of the Gods! _

_ [All:] Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ [All:] Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

_ But I'm no fool! _

_ It's in the lap of the Gods! _

_ [All:] Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ [All:] Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

_ It's in the lap of the Gods! (Maki: YOU SING IT!) _

The 26,000 screaming fans in the audience then sang along perfectly to the song.

_ [Audience:] Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ [Audience:] Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

_ But I'm no fool! _

_ It's in the lap of the Gods! (Maki: ONE LAST TIME!) _

_ [Audience:] Woah, woah, la la la, woah! _

_ [Audience:] Woah, woah, la la, waah, waah, ooooh! _

The song then closed out as Maki shouted, "DOMO ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!" She then bowed as the song ended with a thunderous explosion over the speakers as the stage went dark and the audience cheered. Their first concert in Mexico was a resounding success, and the other 4 nights had already sold out, guaranteeing their presence in the Spanish-speaking world.

* * *

 At the hotel, Honoka read Rolling Stone magazine, relaxing after the tiring concert with Umi and Kotori. As she flipped through the pages, she noticed a review of the band's album Shove It. "Huh? They reviewed our album?"

Kotori said to Honoka," Rolling Stone did? What did they say?" She was curious to see what they thought of them.

"Wow," Honoka replied as she read the article as her facial expression changed to that of slight anger and bewilderment. She then threw it in a trash bin. "Well, that was a huge crock of shit." Then, they all heard a knock on the door.

Umi said, "I'll get it." She then opened the door to an angry Maki and Riko, the former of whom was holding Rolling Stone as well. She said to Umi, "Did you guys read this horseshit, too?!"

"Yeah," Honoka replied as Kotori grabbed her magazine from the trash to see what the fuss was about. "I can't believe they trashed us like that, and did you see what they said about you and Nozomi-chan?"

"Oh I sure as shit did," Maki replied. "I was laughing pretty hard at their so-called review until they got to that part and called me a fucking pedophile."

Riko then said to the group, "Nozomi-san was pretty shaken up by it, and Eli-san was pretty pissed, too. Nico-san literally threw her magazine out of her hotel room window in anger. Nobody in Aqours appreciates it, either."

Kotori gasped. "They actually printed this?! Are they insane?!"

Umi looked through the review from Maki's copy, and said to herself, "This is so unfair..."

The redhead then let out a scream of frustration. "I can tolerate them calling our music boring dad rock, but their comments about people like me, Riko-chan, Mari-chan, and Nozomi-chan and the music they like crossed the fucking line!"

Honoka then took out a piece of paper and a pen. "I'm writing a reply right now. I'm gonna give them a piece of my damn mind."

Rin and Hanayo then walked in. Hanayo said to the group, "How are we gonna address this review by Rolling Stone?"

Rin thought to herself, and then she said, "Whatever. Their review isn't hurting us here in North America anyway. Even they admit that we're popular in the charts, even if they don't like it. At the end of the day, those clowns are dead wrong." She then pulled up another music news story on her phone. "Especially when they said that music from Japan, China, and Korea will only be a short fad. Look at this, guys. Other journalists are saying we're the reason behind an "Asian Invasion" of sorts in Western music."

"I heard that, too," Honoka replied. "And yeah, Rolling Stone is wrong when they say it will be a short fad. A short fad doesn't sell out 5 concerts in Mexico City in a row to 130,000 people. A short fad doesn't livestream and broadcast a concert to over 18 million people worldwide. A short fad doesn't have multiple songs in the top 25 in the US." Honoka then stood up. "Everyone, we will conquer the West, and so will Aqours, and A-RISE, and Saint Snow, too. No matter what those dumb critics at that newsrag they call Rolling Stone say, we will come out on top. Together, our four groups will make history!"

* * *

_**µ's Brings Long-Dead Rock to The Masses** _

Japanese band “µ's” (pronounced like the British rock band but spelled with Greek letters) has toured North America for the first time in its history, bringing a different sound with them than their past music. While they were an idol group before, they have begun to embrace the dead genre of rock, and somehow, it had become popular, defying my expectations.

Right off the bat, you have a cover of Queen’s Death On Two Legs sung primarily by band founder Honoka Kousaka, followed by several original songs. All of these songs are steeped heavily in the whitest genre of music to exist: “Progressive” rock. The album ends with another cover, this time of a little-known and rather unimpressive deep cut of Queen known as In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited. It is odd to think that this band chose to cover three little-known album cuts rather than songs people actually know on the album, though at least the band does cover Bohemian Rhapsody live (partially—the band chickened out of doing the choir or opera sections much like how Queen did).

As for the band members themselves, we have first what is known as the Second-Year Trio, so named because they were in their second year of high school in Japan, or 11th Grade, when the band was formed. They consist of band founder Honoka Kousaka, guitarist Umi Sonoda, and keyboardist Kotori Minami. Then, you have the First Year Trio, who consists of pianist Maki Nishikino (who apparently suggested the change in tone for the band), vocalist/pianist Rin Hoshizora, and drummer Hanayo Koizumi. Finally, we have the three oldest members of the band, the Third Year Trio, who are guitarist Nico Yazawa, guitarist Nozomi Toujou, and bassist Eli Ayase. All 9 also sing and write songs, an interesting fact I guess. Notably, Nishikino and Toujou are both openly bisexual, and Eli is quarter-Russian and went to college in Russia during the band’s 2013-2017 hiatus.

Already, for those who are sadly familiar with the problem of sexism in Japan, the background of the band as an idol group brings up red flags. These idol groups tend to reinforce the worst of sexism and sexualization of underage girls in Japan, and Muse was sadly no exception as a school idol group and a regular idol group. Several songs from their high school era mention love affairs, and the outfits they used on stage back then come off as creepy, especially considering the band was still in high school. There is sadly no doubt that a pedophile was aroused by these outfits and the outfits of other school idol groups. To make matters worse, Maki’s girlfriend, fellow idol-turned-rock musician Riko Sakurauchi, member of µ's opening act for their North American tour, Aqours, is 4 years younger than her, and was 17 going on 18 when she began dating her, while Maki was 21 going on 22.

But even ignoring the blatant sexism and pedophilia behind the roots of the band, there exists two other problem: Race and sexuality. The band is Asian (obviously) and has two openly LGBT members, and yet plays music belonging to a dead, heterosexual, and white genre of music that should be growing more and more irrelevant as more diverse hip hop and electronic music take over. Instead, perplexingly, their music has seen success, even displacing modern pop music on the Top 25 and Top 10 charts. It is especially odd that both of its LGBT members are the ones pushing for this style of music, despite prog rock and rock music in general being the anathema to much of the music popular in their community, such as disco and EDM. What angers me the most, however, was when Nozomi wore a “Disco Demolition Night” t-shirt during an interview on MTV, a blatant act of treason against the community that helped give birth to disco and was directly impacted by that racist and homophobic moment in American history that saw racist white boys (of course) destroy the music of black and LGBT musicians in Chicago. Overall, they are committing a major betrayal of their own community.

The tour is full of over-pompous ceremonies. Honoka, Rin, and especially Maki all prance around on stage waving their mic stands around when they’re not on the piano. The crowd eats it all up, of course, since they’re fans. The fans are a mix of the traditional idol fans, general fans of Japanese culture, and an older crowd who are mostly there for their new rock sound, which harkens back to the 70s despite that being 50 years ago this year. I felt bad for many of the younger members of the audience, who probably should have seen a more diverse concert involving more original and diverse music. It was too trite for my tastes, really.

I would not recommend µ's' works to anyone who wants a fresh new look on music, because it is far from it. Already, there is talk of some “Asian Invasion” (ugh that name is problematic) in American music due to the success of µ's and Aqours, as several other new Japanese and Korean groups, as well as several established ones, are now considering launching full tours over here. I think it’s way too early to be talking about that, because µ's' music is not the kind that inspires such a revolution. It’s more like boring dad rock mixed with the horrid sexism of Japanese society in its roots as an idol group, and deserves to be discarded in the name of equality.

* * *

_**Honoka’s Response to Rolling Stone** _

Hi. You described μ's as being a “boring dad rock band mixed with the horrid sexism of Japanese society in its roots as an idol group” and thus worthy of a rather nasty review. Well, I’m Honoka Kousaka, the founder of said band, and I read your article before throwing our your newsrag in the trash where it belongs. Honestly, your sheer stupidity and misconception of our music, our roots, and our style, as well as rock in general, amazes me and the rest of μ's.

First off, we did not unite to serve the fantasies of some pervert in Japan. We united to save our high school (which we did) and make great music, and we have made some fucking awesome music in our time as a school idol group, a regular idol group, and now a rock band. Neither me, Kotori Minami, or Umi Sonoda, who founded the group with me, ever thought “hey, let’s make some fat ugly bastard’s depraved sexual fantasies about high schoolers come true.” All that was on our minds was saving Otonokizaka Girl’s High School from shutting down and taking a century of history stretching back to the Meiji era of Japan with it. We succeeded. If some sicko got off to us, well, whatever. We’re not going to call the cops on him for masturbating himself. We aren’t entirely innocent, Rolling Stone, and we never really were. We have all had fantasies and crushes of our own on boys, and in the cases of our pianist Maki Nishikino and one of our guitarists, Nozomi Toujou, fantasies and crushes of their own on other girls as well.

Second, we are aware that Japan has a problem with sexism, a problem that is dragging our nation down and may be a factor in our declining birth rates. We will not sit around and try to use Russian whataboutism to skirt around this important issue, unlike your paid-off cockholster-for-Putin president right now, whom we have spoken out against several times for his prevalent hatred of practically everyone and every group who isn’t him or a Russian government official. Japanese society also has had issues with sexualizing teenagers. I will admit, some of our outfits over the years have been racy. However, at no point were we ever forced to wear these outfits by an outside party. All costume choices we have made have been made entirely within the band, and in fact, we purchase materials for outfits out of our own pocket and assemble them by ourselves. We make the choice to wear what we wear on stage, and at this point, we don’t care what anyone thinks. Even as minors, we were conscious enough to make these decisions.

Third, you then describe our current music as “boring white dad rock.” Did It ever occur to you that maaaaaybe calling the music of 9 Asian women “white” was not the best choice of words? You also stated that it perplexed you that our “white” music was doing so well against “diverse pop and hip-hop.” What is so perplexing about a new and unique sound in American music doing so well? And again, were you blind enough to not see how wrong it is to call our music “white,” given that none of us are white? Sure, we may embrace classic progressive rock in several songs in our new album, but to imply that our entire album is nothing but that is wrong. We incorporate synthesizers in all of our songs on the album save for “Heart,” which was certainly anathema to quite a few prog rock bands in the 60s and 70s. Also, I have a good feeling that the fact that none of us are white is one of the keys to our success, since we are able to connect a lot more to nonwhite audiences, especially Asian-Americans (for rather obvious reasons), in spite of not playing music that you and your type seem to identify with “nonwhite.” I wish that was not true, since I think skin color is such a silly and broad thing to divide people up and subjugate them based upon it, but alas, it is.

Fourth, you up the ante in terms of your stupidity by saying that Maki Nishikino and Nozomi Toujou have betrayed queer culture by embracing rock instead of disco, EDM, or house. Not only is this fucking dumb, but it is also highly offensive and homophobic. Both of them wanted me to incorporate their own responses into my letter. Nozomi told you guys, “To imply that playing the electric guitar is somehow going against the very community I belong to is insulting, and you should be ashamed for posting such nonsense. I have been out as bisexual since I was almost 14, and I refuse to be told that I somehow don’t matter to the very community I have been involved in for the last 11 years just because of the music I play.” Maki told you guys, “Look, I am going to play whatever music I want to. If rock is what I want to play, so be it. To say all LGBT music is electronic or disco or to say all LGBT people listen to electronic or disco is in fact incredibly homophobic/transphobic. Not all LGBT people are into the genres you described. I like those genres, but they are not my favorite ones. In short, I’m gonna keep singing and playing rock, and you all can go fuck yourselves for posting this drivel. Oh, and fuck you for implying I was a pedophile, too.” Also, as with the nonwhite thing in my third point, the fact that we have two LGBT members in our band also helps out with our success. We have found major success with LGBT communities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and are beginning to see it in Europe, where we will start to tour in once we release another album next year.

To conclude, your review has almost nothing to do with our music, and is really just a bunch of ramblings that make absolutely no sense. Good day, and get a fucking brain.


	17. MTV Unplugged

_**July 17, 2020** _

It had been almost a month since Aqours and µ's finished the North American Leg of the Shove It Tour with two concerts in Puerto Rico on the 22nd and 23rd of June. To help further promote their albums, Aqours and µ's were to perform together on a MTV Unplugged special today. They would perform acoustic renditions of several of their songs, and µ's planned on debuting two new covers of Queen songs as well as a brand new song that had never even been recorded before that they planned to record for their next album. The event was to be broadcasted live from the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City.

First up was Aqours, which had a short setlist and a rather simple setup. Yoshiko, You, Dia, and Mari all held guitars while Ruby and Hanamaru played the tambourine and both had foot pedal bass drums each. Riko would either play on the piano or sing with Kanan and Chika. The announcer for the evening said to the enthusiastic crowd, "Thank you for joining us tonight on MTV Unplugged! I am your host, Kathy Smith, and today, we'll be hearing from two awesome Japanese rock bands that have made waves in the United States and beyond recently. First up is the lovely band Aqours, from the seaside city of Numazu in the prefecture of Shizuoka, not far from the ever famous Mount Fuji. They will be performing a short but sweet set of several songs of their's, followed by their partner group µ's. I hope you enjoy their music. Take it away, Aqours!"

Chika then replied, "Thank you! Thank you!" She then cleared her throat. "This first one is simply titled Mijuku Dreamer." The band then began a soft acoustic version of the song.

_[Kanan:] Itsumo soba ni ite mo tsutaekirenai omoide kokoro maigo ni naru namida_

_[Chika:] Wasurete shimaou!_

_[You:] Utatte miyou!_

_[Kanan/Chika/You:] Issho ni ne!_

_[Dia:] Kotoba dake ja tarinai sou kotoba sura tarinai yue ni surechigatte hanarete!_

_[Ruby:] Shimatta koto ga!_

_[Hanamaru:] Kanashikatta no zutto!_

_[Dia/Ruby/Hanamaru:] Ki ni natteta!_

As with the regular version, a guitar segue occurred. Then, Mari began singing.

_[Mari:] Wakatte hoshii to negau kimochi ga tomaranakute kitto kizutsuketa ne soredemo!_

_[Riko:] Akiramekirenai!_

_[Yoshiko:] Jibun no wagamama ima wa!_

_[Mari/Riko/Yoshiko:] Kakusanai kara!_

_[Mari/Dia/Kanan:] Chikara o awasete yume no umi o oyoide yukou yo!  
_

_[Chika:] Kyou no umi o!_

Then, Ruby and Hanamaru began on the bass drums and tambourines.

_[All:] Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai demo tanoshiku naru hazu dayo!_

_[All:] Minna to nara norikoerareru kore kara nanda ne otagai ganbarou yo!_

_[All:] Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai demo tanoshiku shitai honto ni!_

_[All:] Minna to nara murishitaku naru Seichou shitai na mada mada mijuku dreamer!_

_[Mari/Dia/Kanan:] Yatto hitotsu ni nare sou na bokutachi dakara!_

_[All but 3Y:] Honne butsukeau toko kara hajimeyou!_

_[All:] Sono toki mieru hikari ga aru hazu sa!_

Riko then went to the piano and played a beautiful piano solo to accompany the guitars as the audience clapped and sang along. The solo was shorter than the usual guitar solo that normally accompanied the song live.

_[All:] Kono mama issho ni yume no umi o oyoide yukou yo!_

_[Chika:] Kyou no umi o!_

_[All:] Arashi ga kitara hareru made asobou utaeba kitto tanoshii hazu sa!  
_

_[All:] Hitori janai norikoerareru fushigi nakurai kowaku wa nakunatte!_

_[All:] Arashi ga kitara hareru made asobou sore mo tanoshimi da ne honto sa!_

_[All:] Hitori janai muri shinaide yo tasukeaeba ii waku waku mijuku dreamer!_

_[Audience:] Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai demo tanoshiku naru hazu dayo! ([Mari: That was awesome! You guys rock!)_

_[Audience:] Minna to nara norikoerareru kore kara nanda ne otagai!_

_[Audience:] Ganbarou yo!_

_[All:] Donna mirai ka wa daremo mada shiranai demo tanoshiku shitai honto ni!_

_[All:] Minna to nara murishitaku naru Seichou shitai na mada mada mijuku dreamer!_

The song then ended to thunderous applause. Riko then said to the audience, "Thank you! You guys rocked that last part of the song! You really did! Now... This next one is actually a cover of a µ's song, rearranged to be a solo on the piano. I'd like to dedicate this one to the love of my life, Maki Nishikino." The audience then cheered as Riko began on the piano and the rest of the band watched. As she did, Maki also watched from backstage, smiling.

_Yume no tobira zutto sagashi tsuzuketa..._

_Kimi to boku to no tsunagari o sagashiteta..._

_Yes! Jibun o shinjite minna o shinjite..._

_Ashita ga matterun dayo ikanakucha..._

_Yes! Yokan no hoshitachi mune ni futte kita..._

_Kagayake… mayoinagara tachiagaru yo..._

_Tsukareta toki ni boku o hagemasu kimi no egao wa saikou..._

_Soshite sukoshi zutsu susumun da ne..._

_Tokimeki e no kagi wa koko ni aru sa..._

Riko then paused for a quick second and gave out a short giggle. By now, tears fell from Maki's eyes as she watched with pride.

_Yume no tobira daremo ga sagashiteru yo..._

_Deai no imi o mitsuketai to negatteru..._

_Yume no tobira zutto sagashi tsuzukete..._

_Kimi to boku to de tabidatta ano kisetsu..._

Then, the short cover ended to applause. Riko got up from the piano and bowed. As she turned around, she was met by a surprise hug from her girlfriend. The two hugged it out and then kissed before they both waved to the crowd. Maki wiped the tears from her eyes as she did. She then said into a mic Riko held, "Sorry about that, eheheh... I couldn't help it... Good job, Riko." They then split as Maki returned back stage.

Riko said to the crowd, "That's Maki for you, heh... Alright, let's do a new song from the album now. This is a number we haven't done live before. This is called Colors of the Mind. Lucky for us, we composed it as a purely acoustic song in the first place."

This time, it was only You, Ruby, Hanamaru, Dia, and Kanan on stage as the rest of the band left. Kanan held a mic while You and Dia played on the guitar. The song was the only one that was purely in English on the new album.

_[Kanan:] They say your mind has a window, well I'll tell you they're wrong..._

_[Kanan:] They say your mind can be seen clearly, we'l I'll tell you that's a lie..._

_[Kanan:] Your mind is an odd thing, and I've got to crack it..._

_[Kanan:] The colors of the mind, oh I must decipher it..._

_[Kanan:] The colors of the mind, are my key to being with you..._

You and Dia then played a short guitar section before the second verse and chorus.

_[Kanan:] What else is there to say? I need to be with you... [You/Dia: Be with you...]_

_[Kanan:] What else is there to say? I need to understand you... [Ruby/Hanamaru: Understand you...]_

_[Kanan/Dia/Ruby/You/Hanamaru:] Your mind is an odd thing, and it drives me so mad..._

_[Kanan/Dia/Ruby/You/Hanamaru:] The colors of the mind, oh they tell me that..._

_[Kanan/Dia/Ruby/You/Hanamaru:] The colors of your mind, are a beautiful thing..._

_[Ruby/Hanamaru:] A beautiful thing! [You/Dia:] A beautiful thing!_

_[Ruby/Hanamaru:] A beautiful thing! [You/Dia:] A beautiful thing!_

_[Kanan:] Ooooohhhhhhhh..._

_[Kanan:] Your mind is an odd thing, and I've got to crack it..._

_[Kanan:] The colors of the mind, oh I must decipher it..._

_[Kanan:] The colors of the mind, are my key to being with you..._

Kanan then said, "Thank you." The crowd applauded them as You and Dia traded in their guitars for traditional Japanese shamisens as the band returned to stage.

Dia then said to the crowd, "This next one takes off of traditional Japanese and Chinese music quite a bit, even more so when rearranged acoustically. For all you music theory nerds out there, me included, this song in fact changes scales. The verses are more like Western music, while the choruses use the pentatonic scale. Now, if you don't know what that is, it's this." She then played a short example of the pentatonic scale on her shamisen. "Notice how it sounds stereotypically Asian? Well, that's because that scale is the most commonly-used scale in traditional Japanese, Chinese, and Korean music, among other eastern Asian cultures. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy My Mai Tonight." The band then began with Ruby striking a gong.

_[Dia/Ruby:] Odore! Odore! Atsuku naru tame! Hito wa umareta hazu sa!_

_[Dia/Ruby/Hanamaru:] Ima chiisaku moeteru! [Yoshiko/Mari/Kanan:] Mada chiisana homura ga!_

_[Ruby/Hanamaru/Yoshiko/Mari/Kanan/Dia:] Hitotsu ni nareba! [Dia:] Kiseki ga umare!_

_[Chika/You/Riko:] Kono sekai wa itsumo akiramenai kokoro ni! [Ruby:] Kotae janaku!_

_[Ruby/Hanamaru/Dia:] Michi wo sagasu! [Yoshiko/Mari/Kanan:] Tegakari wo! [Chika/You/Riko:] Kureru ka!_

_[All:] Saigo made tsuyoku de ikou!_

_[All:] Odore! Odore! Atsuku naru tame! Hito wa umarete kita no?_

_[All:] Odore! Odore! Kitto souda yo! Dakara yume mite odorou!_

_[All:] My Mai Tonight! Dancing tonight! Saikou no!_

_[All:] My Mai Tonight! Dancing tonight! Kyou ni shiyou!_

As Dia had said, the song had indeed changed scales midway through. She would frequently introduce the song with that fact from this point forward on stage before demonstrating the pentatonic scale on her guitar, or, in this case, a shamisen.

_[Hanamaru:] Itsuka hirogaru darou hora ookiku hirogare!_

_[Ruby:] Ganbaru chikara kiseki wo yonderu!_

_[Yoshiko:] Kono sekai no naka de kagayakitai kokoro ga!_

_[1Y:] Atsumaru toki! [2Y:] Atarashii koto! [You:] Omoitsuki! [All:] Hashiridasu!_

_[Dia:] Ashimoto ga! [All:] Mienai kedo! [Chika:] Hane mitai ni te nobashite!_

_[All:] Odore! Odore! Akogareta no wa! Zutto matataku hikari!_

_[All:] Odore! Odore! Kitto itsuka wa! Kanau hazu da to odorou!_

_[All:] My Mai Tonight! Dancing tonight! Ashita e to!_

_[All:] My Mai Tonight! Dancing tonight! Tsunageyou!_

_[Dia:] Mune no koe ni michibikarete! [Kanan:] Michi ga mata hiraketa yo! [Mari:] Saigo made tsuyoki de ikou! [3Y:] Hey!  
_

_[All:] Odore! Odore! Atsuku naru tame! Hito wa umarete kita no?_

_[All:] Odore! Odore! Kitto souda yo! Dakara yume mite odorou!_

_[All:] My Mai Tonight! Dancing tonight! Saikou no!_

_[All:] My Mai Tonight! Dancing tonight! Kyou ni shiyou!_

_[Dia:] My Mai Tonight! [All:] Dancing tonight!_

_[Dia:] My Mai Tonight! [All:] Dancing tonight! [Dia:] Oh wow!_

The crowd then cheered as Aqours bowed and waved. Chika said to them, "Thank you! Arigatou! You've all been terrific! I hope we've got you all pumped up for what's coming next! See you soon!" The band then exited stage to applause.

Back stage, µ's clapped and cheered as well. Nozomi patted Mari on the back and told her, "You guys were awesome out there."

"Thanks," Mari replied. "We certainly  _rocked_ it out there. I can't wait for what you guys have in store for us."

"It'll be awesomesauce," Honoka exclaimed, filled with energy as usual. "I can't wait!" She then laughed.

* * *

15 minutes later, in front of a live televised audience, µ's took to the stage to thunderous applause. As the band got ready with their instruments, Honoka addressed the crowd. "Hello, Harlem! It's a pleasure to be with you tonight! Let me tell you, being on the road with Aqours across North America has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life, and this will cap it off. You guys rock!" The crowd cheered in response. "Now, I'd like to pass it off to Nico Yazawa, our primary acoustic guitarist and primary rhythm guitarist, and in fact the person who taught both Umi and Nozomi how to play the guitar."

"Thank you," Nico replied as she strummed a few strings. "Now, this first one we're gonna do requires audience participation, something Maki told me was sorta lacking when a certain British rock band did this song over here in the States. Let's see if you can prove that wrong. This song is simply titled Love Of My Life." She then began playing the soft and slow ballad on the guitar as the crowd cheered upon Maki entering the center of stage on a stool beside Nico as she held her bottomless mic stand.

_Love of my life, you've hurt me..._

_You've broken my heart, and now you leave me..._

_Love of my life, can't you see?!_

_Bring it back! Bring it back!_

_Don't take it away from me because, you don't know, what it means to me..._

_Love of my life, don't leave me..._

_You've stolen my love, you now desert me..._

_[Audience:] Love of my life, can't you see?!_

_[Audience:] Bring it back! Bring it back!_

_[Audience:] Don't take it away from me because, you don't know, what it means to me..._

_You will remember, when this is blown over, and everything's all by the way..._

_When I grow older, I will be there at your side, to remind you, how I still love you..._

_[Audience:] I still love you... (Maki: We love you, Freddie!)_

The audience cheered after she name-dropped Freddie Mercury on stage.

_Hurry back, hurry back, don't take it away from me because, you don't know, what it means to me..._

_[Audience:] Love of my life!_

_Love of my life!_

_Ohhhhhh, yeaaaah..._

"Good job," Maki replied as the audience cheered. "You certainly proved them wrong! America can sing along to that song!" She then laughed. "Alright, now, this next one is from our newest album that also features Nozomi on the vocals, and it is simply entitled Tell Them Now." Nico then began playing the song, which was mostly acoustic in its original form too. Nozomi also played along on another acoustic guitar for this song.

_[Maki:] Never have I fallen for someone quite like you..._

_[Maki:] But all this time, I thought you'd never be mine, so I never said a word..._

_[Maki:] Only now do I know, how wrong I was..._

_[Maki:] Now that you're gone, and off with another one..._

_[Maki:] Oh, love hurts... Oh, love hurts... When you wait too long..._

_[Maki/Nozomi:] Tell them now, tell them now, tell them now_

_[Nozomi:] Please don't wait for them to tell you..._

_[Maki/Nozomi:] Tell them now, tell them now, tell them now_

_[Nozomi:] I said please_   _don't wait for them to tell you..._

_[Nozomi:] Isn't it better to know the answer instead of pondering, after all?_

_[Nozomi:] Even if they say "no," at least you know instead of wondering_

_[Nozomi:]_   _Never have I fallen for someone quite like you..._

_[Nozomi:] Your voice, your mind, your body, your spirit all draw me in..._

_[Nozomi:] But now you're out with that other one, oh how it hurts..._

_[Nozomi:] I'm glad that you're happy, but am I wrong to feel pain?_

_[Nozomi:]_   _Oh, love hurts... Oh, love hurts... When you wait too long..._

_[Maki/Nozomi:] Tell them now, tell them now, tell them now_

_[Maki:] Please don't wait for them to tell you..._

_[Maki/Nozomi:] Tell them now, tell them now, tell them now_

_[Maki:] I said please_   _don't wait for them to tell you..._

_[Maki:] Isn't it better to know the answer instead of pondering, after all?_

_[Maki:] Even if they say "no," at least you know instead of wondering..._

The crowd then cheered after the song ended. Nozomi then said to the crowd, "Thank you!" Maki then passed the mic to Honoka as Nico began playing the third song on the setlist. Nozomi said to the crowd, "This next one is from an album called The Works. It was Love Of My Life's companion song for the last two tours Queen did. This is called Is This The World We Created? Nico, Honoka, take it away." Honoka sang the bnext song, which was pitched up a semitone.

_Just think of all those hungry mouths we have to feed..._

_Take a look at all the suffering we breed..._

_So many lonely faces scattered all around..._

_Searching for what they need..._

_Is this the world we created? What did we do it for?_

_Is this the world we invaded against the law?_

_So it seems in the end is this what we're all living for today?_

_The world that we created?_

Honoka then said to the audience, "You guys are good singers." They replied back with cheers.

_You know that everyday a helpless child is born..._

_Who needs some loving care inside a happy home..._

_Somewhere a wealthy man is sitting on his throne..._

_Waiting for life to go by...  
_

_Ohhhhhhhh..._

_Is this the world we created? We made it on our own!_

_Is this the world we devastated right to the bone?_

_If there is a God in the sky looking down..._

_What can He think of what we've done..._

_To the world that He created?_

"And He does wonder what we've done," Honoka said at the end of the song. "Thank you." She then bowed as the band began to rearrange themselves on stage. Honoka passed her mic to Rin as Eli grabbed her bass, Hanayo grabbed a bass drum and a tambourine, Nozomi grabbed the second acoustic guitar, and Umi and Kotori grabbed other tambourines and shared a fixed mic.

"Hello, everyone," Rin addressed the audience. "How are you all today?!" The crowd cheered. "Good, good. Now, this next one is a song about outer space and time dilation. Trust me, it's a lot less boring than it sounds. This is called '39." Nico and Nozomi then began on the guitar before the rest of the band joined in.

_[Rin:] In the year of '39 assembled here the Volunteers!_

_[Rin:] In the days when lands were few!_

_[Rin:] Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn!_

_[Rin:] The sweetest sight ever seen!_

_[Rin:] And the night followed day, and the storytellers say, that the score brave souls inside!_

_[Rin:] For many a lonely day sailed across the milky seas!_

_[Rin/Nico/Nozomi:] Never looked back, never feared, never cried!_

_[All but Honoka and Maki:] Don't you hear my call though you're many years away?_

_[All but Honoka and Maki:] Don't you hear me calling you?_

_[Rin:] Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand in the land that our grandchildren knew!_

_[All:] Aaaaah aah ah aaaaah ah... Aaaaah aah ah aaaaah ah ah aaaaah aah ah aaaaah ah... Aaaaah aah ah aaaaah ah..._

_[All:] Aaaaah ah ah aah aah aaaaaaaah!_

_[Rin:] In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue!_

_[Rin:] The volunteers came home that day![  
](https://genius.com/Queen-39-lyrics#note-2896698)_

_[Rin:] And they bring good news of a world so newly born!_

_[Rin:] Though their hearts so heavily weigh!_

_[Rin:] For the Earth is old and grey, little darling we'll away!_

_[Rin:] But my love this cannot be!_

_[Rin:] Oh so many years are gone though I'm older but a year!_

_[Rin/Nico/Nozomi:] Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me!_

_[All but Honoka and Maki:] Don't you hear my call though you're many years away?_

_[All but Honoka and Maki:] Don't you hear me calling you?_

_[Rin:] Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand in the land that our grandchildren knew!_

_[All but Honoka and Maki:] Don't you hear my call though you're many years away?_

_[All but Honoka and Maki:] Don't you hear me calling you?_

_[Rin:] All your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand!_

_[Hanayo/Eli:] For my life!_

_[Kotori/Umi:] Still ahead!_

_[All but Honoka and Maki:] Pity me!_

"Thank you," Rin replied. "You're all wonderful!" She then moved to a piano as the rest of the band moved off of the stage. "Now, uh, this next one is a mish-mash of a few songs rolled into one all on the piano featuring me going solo. We're gonna start off with a song that means a lot to me, and that song is Love Wing Bell." She then began to play the song, which was rearranged for the piano.

_Akogare no shunkan o mukaeru toki ga kita yo!_

_Ii no kana konna ni mo shiawase kanjiteru yo!_

_Hikari ni sasowarete arukidasu kono michi wa!  
_

_Mirai e to tsudzuiteru kibou ni michiteru ne!  
_

_Dare demo kawaiku nareru? Kitto nareru yo!_

_Konna watashi de sae mo… henshin!  
_

_Dakara ne ageru yo genki sono mama no egao de!  
_

_Utaou utaou ageru yo genki!_

_Nayamanaide yume o miyou!_

_Daisuki na minna to naraba atarashii koto dekiru!  
_

_Umare kawarou korekara motto hirogaru hazu!  
_

_Saa ashita ga miete kuru!_

_Love wing… love bell…  
_

Rin then played the outro to the song as the audience watched in anticipation. Then, as the abridged song closed out, she began playing the beginning notes to a different song. When the audience recognized it, they cheered.

_Look into my eyes and you'll see, I'm the only one..._

_You've captured my love, stolen my heart, changed my life..._

_Every time you make a move, you destroy my mind..._

_And the way you touch... I lose control and shiver... Deep inside..._

_You take my breath away..._

_You can reduce me to tears, with a single sigh..._

_Every breath that you take, any sound that you make, is a whisper in my ear..._

_I could give up all my life... For just one kiss..._

_I would surely die... If you dismissed me from your love..._

_You take my breath away..._

_So please don't go... Don't leave me here all by myself..._

_I get ever so lonely, from time to time..._

_I will find you... Anywhere you go, I'll be right behind you!_

_Right until the end of the Earth!_

_I'll get no sleep 'till I find you, to tell you, when I've found you..._

_I love you..._

After she finished the outro, she began to play the intro to another song, which was more fast-paced than the last two.

_Hello, uta ni yobarete!_

_Hikari afureru machi wa kaanibaru mitai!_

_Hello, kotaete mitara!  
_

_Kitto ippo zutsu sekai hirogaru yo hello!_

_Odoridasu kousaten de minna odorokanai!_

_Nanimo kamo jiyuu nano?_

_Nagareru hito no nami ni!_

_Nomikomaresou ni naru yo!_

_Shiranai kotoba no melody!_

_Fushigi to chikara ga waite kuru!_

Then, suddenly, Hanayo entered in on the drums and Eli entered in on the bass as Maki emerged onto the stage standing beside Rin, all to much applause.

_[1Y:] Hello, hoshi o kazoete!_

_[1Y:] Korekara deau koto o uranaeba!_

_[1Y:] Hello, yosoku fukanou!?  
_

_[1Y:] Kitto issho nara zenbu tanoshimeru hello!  
_

_[1Y:] Ashita okitara dou naru kana! Doushiyou kana!_

The medley then ended as Rin closed out on the piano. She then got up and bowed before saying into Maki's mic, "Thank you! Arigatou!"

Maki then took a seat at the piano. "Alright... How are you all doing tonight?!" The crowd cheered in response. "Good, good! Let me tell you, we're having a son of a bitch of a time here on stage, and I wanna make sure that's coming across to you all, and I just realized I probably shouldn't have said son of a bitch on live television here in the US. Oh well, if I get fined, I heard it gets donated to a good charity, so fuck it, fine me a third time, I guess." The crowd then laughed and cheered. "Sorry, moms and dads!" She then laughed. "Anyways, let's start right off with a song called Aishiteru Banzai!" For now, Maki was by herself, singing and playing the piano.

_Aishiteru banzai! Koko de yokatta!_

_Watashitachi no ima ga koko ni aru!_

_Aishiteru banzai! Hajimatta bakari!_

_Ashita mo yoroshiku ne mada goal janai!_

_Waratte yo kanashii nara fuki to basou yo!  
_

_Waraetara kawaru keshiki harema ga nozoku!_

_Fuan demo shiawase e to tsunagaru michi ga!  
_

_Miete kita yo na aozora!_

_Tokidoki ame ga furu kedo mizu ga nakucha taihen!_

_Kawaicha dame da yo minna no yume no ki yo sodate!_

Then, the rest of the band joined her in singing, standing side-by-side on stage.

_[All:] Daisuki da banzai! Makenai yuuki!_

_[All:] Watashitachi wa ima wo tanoshimou_

_[All:] Daisuki da banzai! Ganbarerukara!_

_[All:] Kinou ni te wo futte hora mae muite!_

The rest of the band then retreated back to the shadows as the spotlights focused back on Maki.

_Susunde yo kurushikute mo tonari ni iteyo!_

_Susundara moeru taiyou higashi wo terasu!_

_Mayotteta kotae ga nai saki e no michi wa!_

_Daremo shiranai ienai!_

_Totsuzen arashi no naka e ochiru gin no hikari!_

_Obiecha dame da yo minna no yume no ki wa tsuyoi!_

_[All:] Aishiteru banzai! Koko de yokatta!_

_[All:] Watashitachi no ima ga koko ni aru!_

_[All:] Aishiteru banzai! Hajimatta bakari!_

_[All:] Ashita mo yoroshiku ne mada goal janai!_

In a strange reversal, Honoka sang solo what were originally Maki's solo lines in the regular song.

_[Honoka:] Tokidoki ame ga furunda kaze de miki ga yureru!_

_[Honoka:] Isshoni ikunda minna no yume no ki yo sodate!_

_[All:] Daisuki da banzai! Makenai yuuki!_

_[All:] Watashitachi wa ima wo tanoshimou_

_[All:] Daisuki da banzai! Ganbarerukara!_

_[All:] Kinou ni te wo futte hora mae muite!_

Then, it returned to Maki singing solo.

_[Maki:] Aishiteru banzai! Koko de yokatta!_

_[Maki:] Watashitachi no ima ga koko ni aru!_

_[Maki:] Aishiteru banzai! Hajimatta bakari!_

_[Maki:] Ashita mo yoroshiku ne mada goal janai!_

Maki then got up and joined the rest of the band, hand in hand, as they bowed. She then was given her mic stand by a stage hand as she said, "Thank you! See you all soon! Have a wonderful night, New York!"

Honoka then said, "Thank you to MTV for making all of this possible, and thank you to the historic Apollo Theater for setting us up with such a beautiful venue! Goodbye!"

* * *

_March 3, 2014_

As Rin and Nozomi sat down to discuss life while she was on break at her temple, Rin asked her a question she wasn't expecting. "Hey, uh, Nozomi-senpai?"

"What is it?"

"How do you feel about..." The 16-year-old hesitated for a bit. "Uhhh... How do you feel about me getting contraceptives?"

Nozomi, surprised that a girl like Rin would ask such a question, said, "Well, uh, what's going on?"

"I want to take my relationship with Takao-kun to the next level, if you know what I mean," Rin replied. "I'm on the pill due to period cramps, but should I have more?"

"I would say use a condom," Nozomi replied as she thought to herself. "However, if neither of you have ever had sex before, it isn't absolutely necessary, since you are on the pill regularly, but I'd still recommend it."

"Well," Rin replied, unsure of herself. "I kinda don't want him to wear one for the first time. I wanna feel what it's like without one first."

"That is a bit risky," Nozomi replied to her. "But I can understand why."

"My mom uses some kind of jelly or whatever that she inserts in, well, _there,_ quite a bit," Rin told Nozomi. "I could use some of that."

"You're referring to spermicides," Nozomi replied. "Not a bad choice. By themselves, they're about 80% effective. With another method like the pill, it's even more so. Will you be asking your mom about that, or is that gonna be on the down low?"

"On the down low." Rin blushed. "Eheheheh... My parents don't know about any of this, nya."

"If you're gonna be having sex with your boyfriend a lot," Nozomi then said to her as advice. "I'd consider getting an intrauterine device, or IUD. The doctor takes this tiny little thing and they insert it in your uterus, and it's like over 99% effective. I'm telling you, that should be the next big thing."

"I'll have to look into that," Rin replied before she smiled. "Ahhh... I can already picture what it will be like to bond with him like that..."

Nozomi laughed. "Ah, Rin-chan..."

* * *

_March 5, 2014_

About half an hour before school ended at Otonokizaka, Rin had excused herself from her class to use the restroom. As she sneaked around hallways, she looked to see if anyone was following her. Then, she reached her destination, a women's restroom. She then sighed as she went in. "Well, here goes nothing, nya. He's on his way right now from UTX."

She then entered a bathroom stall as she breathed a sigh of relief that the entire restroom was empty. She then opened up her undershirt slightly to pull out a tube of her mom's spermicide. "Okay... I'm glad that didn't fall out the whole day..." She then quietly slid the shorts she wore underneath her skirt as well as her underwear down to her legs and squeezed the jelly into an applicator she also had in her coat pocket. "This is gonna either go well, or go badly, nya." She then took a deep breath and inserted the applicator.

When she was done, she took the applicator out and looked at it. "That's it? Huh..." She then put her underwear and shorts back on before putting the tube back into her coat pocket. She then walked out of the stall and washed the applicator with hand soap as she thought to herself,  _"Relax, Rin, and focus on this. I know he wants this, too. He's told me he wanted this. Hey, if he says no today, he says no today, and that's that. Better to be prepared and get told no than get told yes and not be prepared."_

Later, just as classes let out, Rin walked out of school with Hanayo. She said to her, "Okay, wish me luck. I did the thing with the foam half an hour before the end of school."

"How did it feel?" Hanayo was curious, and a little concerned, but still happy for her best friend.

"Not bad," Rin replied. "I just put it in, squeezed the applicator, and took it out." She then blushed and laughed. "I just realized that that sounds a lot like what I wanna do, oh my God." Hanayo laughed as well. Rin then saw Takao. "Oh, hey, Takao-kun!"

Takao then waved to Rin. "Hey, Rin-chan! Over here!" The two then embraced.

Rin then asked him, "Hey, Takao, wanna come over to my place? My parents aren't gonna be home until late." She gave him a somewhat seductive look as she secretly gave Hanayo a thumbs-up from behind.

Takao then realized what Rin was asking him. "I see... Well, Rin, I think I'm ready." He then gave her a quick kiss. "Let's go."

"Thanks," Rin replied as the two held hands. She then turned around and said to Hanayo, "Wish us luck, Kayo-chin!"

Hanayo shouted back, "I will!" She then sighed and said to herself, "Maybe one day, I'll be in her shoes."


	18. Olympic History

_**August 9, 2020** _

As part of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, µ's was to be one of several Japanese music acts to appear and perform in the Closing Ceremony for the major international sporting event. The shortened concert would mark the band's first stop on what would be a tour of Asia that would start with regular concerts in September. This leg would feature µ's as a standalone act, as Aqours was holding a headlining Asian tour, and had performed on July 24 during the Opening Ceremony, singing Happy Party Train and their new song Last Game to much fanfare. µ's was to take to the stage last, as they had the longest setlist of the acts that were to perform. For this performance, the band wore their Bokutachi wa Hitotsu no Hikari outfits.

After the previous act, influential Japanese rock band B'z, had left the stage after performing a 20-minute setlist of 5 songs, µ's got themselves ready below the rectangular stage located in the center of Tokyo's National Stadium. The stage was colored red and white and was based off of the Japanese flag. As the stage darkened and the audience watched with anticipation, the band hopped onto a large moving platform that would rise to the stage from below as Hanayo adjusted her drum set one last time. Honoka then said to the whole band, "Okay, everyone, let's make this the best concert we've ever given!"

"Certainly," Maki replied as she held her mic.

Kotori replied, "Of course. Say, why don't we all huddle together like we did for our last concert as school idols?"

"Huh," Umi replied. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea." The rest of the band seemed to agree as they all got up and put their hands in a circle together. Starting with Honoka and ending with Eli, they counted from one to nine.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"Four!"

"Five!"

"Six!"

"Seven!"

"Eight!"

"Nine!"

Then, altogether, they all said, "µ's! Music, START!" They then giggled as they got back into their positions.

Then, a stage hand told them, "10 seconds!"

Kotori then pulled up an edited version of the Opera Section of Bohemian Rhapsody. The only difference was that it was missing the first line Freddie sang so that Maki could sing it. "I'm all set with the intro!"

The stage hand then counted down, "In 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Play it!" Kotori then pressed play on the intro, which started off with the sound of a conductor tapping his baton. Then, a prerecorded line in English done by Sarah Kazuno read out the following:

_"Ladies and gentleman, we present to you, µ's!"_

The band could hear the over 80,000-sized crowd go wild as the fade-in from the beginning of Ogre Battle was heard, which made the whole band anxious. Maki thought to herself,  _"We've rehearsed it down to a T. Don't fuck this up. You won't fuck this up, Don't worry."_

Then, the Opera Section began to play as video screens around the stadium played the corresponding section of the song's music video.

_Maki: I see a little silhouetto of a man!_

_Queen: Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?_

_Queen: THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTNING, VERY, VERY FRIGHTENING ME!_

_Queen:_ _Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo Figaro!_

_Queen: Magnifico! (Oh, oh, oh, oh!)_

_Queen: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me..._

_Queen: HE'S JUST A POOR BOY FROM A POOR FAMILY!_

_Queen:_ _SPARE HIM HIS LIFE FROM THIS MONSTROSITY!_

_Queen:_ _Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?_

_Queen: (Bismillah!) NO! WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_Queen: (Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_Queen: (Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!)_

_Queen:_ _WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!) (Never, never...)_

_Queen:_ _WILL NOT LET  YOU GO! (Never, never let me go!) (Oh, oh, oh oh!)_

_Queen:_ _No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!_

_Queen: Oh mama mia, mama mia! MAMA MIA LET ME GO!_

_Queen: BEELZEBUB, HAS THE DEVIL PUT ASIDE FOR-_

Then, the platform began to lift up as the rest of the band began to play the song.

_Queen:_ _ME! FOR ME! FOR ME!!!_

Then, a blast of pyrotechnics lit up the entire stage as the platform stopped at the top and the crowd cheered. Maki emerged from the smoke, full of energy, as she began to sing.

_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?!_

_So you think you can love me and leave me to DIIIIIIE?!_

_Ohhhhh, baby! Can't do this to me, baby!_

_Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!_

Then, instead of Maki returning to the piano and continuing the song, the band closed out the rock section and began to transition to a different song. As the audience recognized it, they cheered as the band began to play Shove It after Maki went to the piano.  **(Song translated into English entirely. First verse and first chorus are in Japanese, second verse and second chorus are in English, and the third verse is in Japanese, while the third chorus is in English.)**

_[Rin:] A deal's a deal you said, so we didn't complain_

_[Rin:] But then you took your words and threw them in the trash_

_[Rin:] You broke every promise, you were so damn vain_

_[Rin:] But now we are free, and we've made the dash_

_[Rin:] Away, from, your, claws! Away, from, your, filthy hands!_

The song then jumped into the first chorus.

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] Go take your plan and shove it 'cause we don't need it_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] You sucked our money away, and gave us nothing at all_

_[All:] You, need, help! [Maki:] Oh yes, you do!_

As with before, Maki and Rin traded places on the piano.

_[Maki:] You talk like you're some big shot who knows everything_

_[Maki:] But let me remind you that you only saw success because of us_

_[Maki:] Without us, you're done! Go take your meddling elsewhere_

_[Maki:] So be sure to turn the lights off and kiss my ass goodbye_

_[Maki:] Don't, fall, for, them! They, only, lie!_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] Go take your plan and shove it 'cause we don't need it_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] You sucked our money away, and gave us nothing at all_

_[All:] You, need, help! [Maki:] Oh yes, you do!_

For the third verse, Maki returned to the piano while Honoka sang, as with before. Already, the band felt as if they had nailed the concert.

_[Honoka:] Let me tell you, you almost had even me fooled_

_[Honoka:] I really thought you were going to be a help to us_

_[Honoka:] But I guess I was proven wrong, you blood-sucking leech_

_[Honoka:] No more will I let my guard down like that again_

_[Honoka:] I hope, you've, made, peace, with, yourself!_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] Go take your plan and shove it 'cause we don't need it_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] You sucked our money away, and gave us nothing at all_

_[All:] You, need, help! [Maki:] Oh yes, you do!_

Umi then played the ending guitar solo as she moved to the center of stage. As she did, the cameras all focused on her. She simply focused on her guitar work as the audience cheered her on, chanting her first name, making her smile.

_[Maki:] (Spoken) AND GOOD RIDDANCE!_

The crowd went wild as the song ended and everyone bowed. Maki said to the crowd in Japanese, "Good evening, Tokyo! It's so good to be back in our home after so long on the road in North America. Though we can't do our entire normal setlist tonight, we'll still bring the house down regardless! Now, I'd like to take this concert to a certain new song of our's that's been really popular recently. This is simply titled Warning From The Heavens!" The band then began to play the wildly popular song as the crowd cheered.

_[Maki]: On this day, the people of the Earth looked into the sky and saw a message from the angels!_

_[Rin:] They said, "This world's beyond our saving! Morality is caving! To let it stay would be painful!"_

_[Nozomi:] The angels pointed to man who they said would lead the righteous, as he was an example..._

_[Maki/Rin/Nozomi:] An example of, a man who feared the Heavens! He had only one request and he demanded it be done!_

_[ALL:] He requested that his family go with him in his quest to lead the righteous!_

The beginning riff by Umi continued for a few more bars before an intense drum fill by Hanayo queued in the next section of the song.

_[ALL:] Death! All! Around!_

_[ALL:] The waters purge the Earth of the unredeemable! (Unredeemable! Unredeemable! Unredeemable!)_

_[ALL:] Now the time has come! Now the time has come!_

_Then, after Hanayo smashed the cymbals again, only their voices were left as the stage went dark._

_[ALL:] No more shall the evil inherit this planet! (This planet! This planet! This planet!)_

_[ALL:] The warning from the heavens has come forth! Come forth! Come forth! Come foooooorth!_

Once the choir section ended, Nozomi shifted into overdrive on the guitar, playing a solo that lasted for almost a whole minute, helped along by synths from Kotori that added to the atmosphere, as well as cracks of thunder and lightning from Kotori's console. The pyrotechnics around the stage helped amplify the atmosphere. Then, the guitar suddenly stopped, and Hanayo began a drum solo as the song sped up in tempo. As she played away, all pistons firing, she concentrated heavily on the snare and tom-toms to produce a filling and loud sound on the record, which would occasionally be broken by the cymbals of her drum set. Then, she focused on the hi-hat, playing a rhythm as the other instruments entered back into the fray.

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as the sinful people of the Earth were washed away!_

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as the angels' warning from the heavens came too late!_

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as God cast his judgement on the sinful below!_

_[Maki:] "Oh! I see the time has come," said the righteous man, as they were swept away at a distance just a stone's-throw!_

_[Rin:] We can hear the people shout! We can hear the people scream! Yet we cannot do a thing! Yet we cannot do a thing!_

_[Rin:] They brought it on themselves! They brought it on themselves! The people of the Earth! The people of the Earth!_

_[Nozomi:] This melody of destruction guarantees, that once these sinners cease to be!_

_[Nozomi:] Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth! Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth!_

_[Maki/Rin/Nozomi:] Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth! Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth!_

_[ALL:] Peace all around will be brought back to the Earth! Peace all around will be brought back to the Eaaaaaaarth!_

Then, another clash of cymbals by Hanayo queued a change in the tempo. No instruments were present, except for Maki's voice. She simply walked around the darkened stage, all lights focused on her.

_[Maki:] Aaaaah... (Aaaaah... Aaaaah... Aaaaah...)_

_[Maki:] Woah woah woah woaaaaah! (Woah woah woah woaaaaah! Woah woah woah woaaaaah! Woah woah woah woaaaaah!)_

_[Maki:] Can't they listen to the words of the heavens? (Can't they listen to the words of the heavens? Can't they listen to the words of the heavens? Can't they listen to the words of the heavens?)_

_[Maki:] As the cracks in their facade begin to widen... (As the cracks in their facade begin to widen... As the cracks in their facade begin to widen... As the cracks in their facade begin to widen...)_

_[Maki:] Their true nature is revealed! (Their true nature is revealed! Their true nature is revealed! Their true nature is revealed!)_

_[Maki:] They should have listened... (They should have listened... They should have listened... They should have listened...)_

_[Maki:] To the warning from the heavens! (To the warning from the heavens! To the warning from the heavens! To the warning from the heavens!)_

_[ALL:] Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! (Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Aaaaah!)_

_[ALL:] May God grant us strength! (May God grant us strength! May God grant us strength! May God grant us strength! May God grant us strength!)_

Then, as the last line ended, a drum fill from Hanayo saw the song speed back up as a long-winded guitar solo by Nico began. Then, Rin began singing afterwards as it ended.

_[Rin:] Now the flood has passed, and the righteous have the Earth! No longer shall war and hate poison minds! The angels and their God are satisfied!_

_[Nozomi:] The perfect world is upon us! The land is clean and free! So are the water of the seas! The blight of the seven sins has ceased to be!_

Then, Umi ended the hard rock section with a riff that had a delay-echo effect applied to it. Once the last of the guitar was heard and faded out, the song became quiet as Maki sang the last line alone.

_[Maki:] Oh, the land is pure... Oh, the people are free... The heavens are satisfied... The heavens are satisfied!_

Finally, Nozomi started up the guitars again, this time quieter than before as she played a repetitive riff for about half a minute. Then, suddenly, a sudden loud note and clash of cymbals ended the song with a scare chord that was augmented by a final clap of loud thunder and a final blast of pyrotechnics. As the smoke-filled stage cleared, the audience cheered and clapped. Nozomi then addressed the crowd, saying, "Hello, everybody! It's so good to be back in Japan after so long. Let me tell you, the only problem with touring in the West is the jet lag. It can really throw you off at times. Other than that, it was awesome! Now, we'd like to take things back to Otonokizaka for a bit..." She then heard a bunch of young women in the audience cheer. "I see we got some Otonokizaka alumni and students here. Let me tell you, if it hadn't been for that school, we wouldn't be here today. I'd like to dedicate this next song to Otonokizaka High School. This is called Snow Halation!" Maki then began on the piano.

_[Honoka/Umi/Nozomi:] Fushigi da ne ima no kimochi... Sora kara futte kita mitai..._

Then, Nozomi, Nico, and Umi all joined in on the guitar.

_[Hanayo/Nico/Eli:] Tokubetsu na kisetsu no iro ga... Tokimeki wo miseru yo..._

_[Kotori/Rin/Maki:] Hajimete deatta toki kara!_

_[Kotori/Hanayo/Rin/Maki/Nico/Eli:] Yokan ni sawagu... Kokoro no melody!_

_[Honoka/Umi/Nozomi:] Tomerarenai tomaranai!_

_[All:] Naze!_

Maki quickly got up from her piano, her mic stand in hand, as she sang the chorus with the rest of the band.

_ Todokete setsunasa ni wa! _

_ Namae wo... Tsukeyou ka “Snow Halation!” _

_ Omoi ga kasanaru made! _

_ Matezu ni... Kuyashii kedo sukitte junjou! _

_ Binetsu no naka... Tameratte mo dame da ne! _

_ Tobikomu yuuki ni sansei... Mamonaku Start! _

Maki quickly ran to her piano and began playing it again after the chorus ended. She said to the crowd as she sat down, "You guys sing good!"

_ [Kotori/Rin/Maki:] Oto mo naku kehai mo naku... Shizuka ni unmei wa kawaru... _

_ [Hanayo/Nico/Eli:] Kore kara no mirai ni mune no kodou ga hayaku naru... _

_ [Kotori/Rin/Maki:] Tatoeba komatta toki ni wa! _

_ [Kotori/Hanayo/Rin/Maki/Nico/Eli:] Sugu kaketsukete... Dakishimetakute! _

_ [Honoka/Umi/Nozomi:]  Doko ni ite mo doko demo! _

_ [All:] Fly High! _

Maki again got up from her piano for the second chorus.

_Isoide itsu no ma ni ka!_

_Ookiku... Narisugita “True Emotion!”_

_Yume dake miteru you ja!_

_Tsurai yo koibito wa kimitte iitai!_

_Yasashii me ga... Tomadotteru iya da yo!_

_Kono mama ikki ni aijou... Azukete Please!_

Then, the spotlights centered on Umi, who played a soft guitar solo in between the second and third choruses as the audience clapped on and Kotori triggered several smoke machines to activate on stage. Maki also returned to her piano for this section. Honoka then said to much cheer, "Alright, everyone, you all know the words! Now, faito dayo!"

_[Audience:] Todokete setsunasa ni wa..._

_[Audience:] Namae wo tsukeyou ka "Snow Halation!"_

Maki then got up from her piano again.

_ Omoi ga kasanaru made! _

_ Matezu ni... Kuyashii kedo sukitte junjou! _

_ Binetsu no naka... Tameratte mo dame da ne! _

_ Tobikomu yuuki ni sansei... (Audience: Mamonaku Start!) _

Then, Maki returned to her piano to help close out the song. Once the song closed out, the audience cheered and roared. Rin then addressed the audience, saying to them all, "Hello, everyone! How are you all doing tonight, nya?!" The audience cheered back. "Okay, now, this is a pretty upbeat song we haven't done on stage ever before. This song goes way back to when I first joined the band. This is called Takaramonozu!" Eli then began the song with a bass riff. To mimic the trumpets on the original song, Nico used her guitar.

_ [Honoka/Rin/Nico:] Saa genki na kao de doko e ikou? _

_ [Honoka/Rin/Nico:] Ikitai to omou to koro e!  
_

_ [Honoka/Rin/Nico:] Hayaku hayaku! [All:] Go! _

_ [Kotori/Hanayo/Nozomi:] Tanoshisa wa kokoro no mochikata shidai kamo ne! _

_ [Kotori/Hanayo/Nozomi:] Iya na koto wa kusha kusha ni marumechae! _

_ [Kotori/Hanayo/Nozomi:] Souda souda! [All:] Go! _

_ [Umi/Maki/Eli:] Sora o miagete namida ga kawaita mitai! _

_ [Honoka/Rin/Nico:] Susumou! [Kotori/Hanayo/Nozomi:] Susumou! [Umi/Maki/Eli:] Susumou! _

_ [All:] Anji o kakete mita! _

_ [All:] Ima koko de mitsuketa takaramono! _

_ [All:] Takusan da ne sou da ne minna no egao sa! _

_ [All:] Koko de mitsuketa takaramono! _

_ [All:] Afure souna yume tachi motto motto misete! _

By now, the audience was jumping up and down, cheering and clapping in rhythm with the song. Many had light sticks commonly seen at idol shows.

_[Umi/Maki/Eli:] Sou yuuki ga daiji sa sugu ni ikou!_

_[Umi/Maki/Eli:] Ikitai to negau ikioi de!_

_[Umi/Maki/Eli:] Sugu ni sugu ni! [All:] Go!_

_[Honoka/Rin/Nico:] Kuyashisa mo riyou shiyou minus kara plus e!_

_[Honoka/Rin/Nico:] Dame sugiru toki wa chotto amaechae!_

_[Honoka/Rin/Nico:] Ii yo! ii yo! [All:] Go!_

_[Kotori/Hanayo/Nozomi:] Daisuki dakara kesenai suteki na power!_

_[Umi/Maki/Eli:] Tsukamou! [Honoka/Rin/Nico:] Tsukamou! [Kotori/Hanayo/Nozomi:] Tsukamou!_

_[All:] Ryoute o nobasou yo!_

_[All:] Mada dare mo shiranai takaramono!_

_[All:] Sagashiteru sou da yo minna ganbatterunda!_

_[All:] Dare mo shiranai takaramono!_

_[All:] Todoki soude todokanai zutto zutto kirari!  
_

Then, a guitar solo by Umi bridged the gap between the second and the third chorus. Maki then stood up to join the rest of the band, her mic in hand.

_[All:] Ima koko de mitsuketa takaramono!_

_[All:] Takusan da ne sou da ne minna no egao sa!_

_[All:] Koko de mitsuketa takaramono!_

_[All:] Afure souna yume tachi motto motto misete!_

Then, as the song closed out, Maki returned to the piano amid cheers and applause as the stage darkened and the lights began to focus on her. She then drank a cup of water that sat on the top of her piano. "Alright... Now, for our final performance of the night, we're going to do a special little medley for you darlings. Actually, wait, before we do that, let me do something I'm sure some of you may recognize. After that, we'll jump right into the medley." She then motioned for her mic to be given back to her as she stood up. She then cleared her throat.

_Iiiiiiiibrahiiiiim..._

_Iiiiiiiibrahiiiiim..._

_Iiiiiiiibrahiiiiim..._

_Allah, Allah, Allah, Allah, we'll pray for you..._

She then sat back down at the piano and began playing a familiar song that got the audience roaring and cheering.

_Mamaaaaaa... Just killed a maaaaaan..._

_Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead..._

_Mamaaaaaa... Life had just beguuuuuun..._

_But now I've gone and thrown it all awaaaaaay..._

A clash of cymbals by Hanayo signaled the next lines of the song.

_Too laaaaaate... My time has come..._

_Send shivers down my spine, bodies aching all the time..._

_Goodbye, everybody... I've got to go..._

_Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth!_

Nico then joined in, playing a low-pitched rhythm guitar part as the song picked up in intensity. The audience knew every word of the song.

_Mamaaaaaa... Oooooooooh..._

_I don't wanna die..._

_I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!_

As with before, Nozomi moved to the center of the stage as she played the guitar solo meticulously. She smiled as many in the audience changed their lights to purple. Then, instead of the opera section beginning, the band changed key with a short transition before everyone minus Hanayo and Maki began snapping their fingers into their mics. The song was a familiar one, but had not been performed by the band before, and was performed pitched up.

_[Maki:] She keeps Moët et Chandon in her pretty cabinet!_

_[Maki:] 'Let them eat cake' she says just like Marie Antoinette!_

_[Maki:] A built-in remedy for Khrushchev and Kennedy!_

_[Maki:] At anytime an invitation you can't decline!_

_[Maki:] Caviar and cigarettes... Well-versed in etiquette!_

_[Maki:] Extraordinarily nice!_

_[All:] She's a Killer Queen! Gunpowder, gelatine!_

_[All:] Dynamite with a laser beam!_

_[Maki:] Guaranteed to blow your mind! [All but Maki:] Anytime!_

_[Maki:] Ooooh, recommended at the price! Insatiable an appetite!_

_[All:] Wanna try?_

_[Maki:] To avoid complications she never kept the same address!_

_[Maki:] In conversations, she spoke just like a baroness!_

_[Maki:] Met a man from China! Went down to Geisha Minah! ([All but Maki:] Killer, killer... She's a killer queen!)_

_[Maki:] Then again, incidentally, if you're that way inclined..._

_[Maki:] Perfume came naturally from Paris! ([All but Maki:] Naturally!)_

_[Maki:] For cars, she couldn't care less!_

_[Maki:] Fastidious and precise!_

_[All:] She's a Killer Queen! Gunpowder, gelatine!_

_[All:] Dynamite with a laser beam!_

_[Maki:] Guaranteed to blow your mind! [All but Maki:] Anytime!_

_[Maki:] Ooooh, recommended at the price! Insatiable an appetite!_

_[All:] Wanna try?_

Then, Nozomi began to play the short guitar solo of the song. Once it ended, and where the third verse was in the original song, the band quickly and somewhat abruptly transitioned to Angelic Angel following a guitar intro by Umi.

_[Eli:] Koko wa doko? Matte iwanaide wakatteru!_

_[Honoka/Rin:] Yume ni mita atsui shinkirou na no sa!_

_[Nico/Kotori:] Kimi wa dare? Nante kikanai yo wakatteru!_

_[Honoka/Rin:] Otagai no negai ga yonda deai!_

_[Umi/Maki:] Touzakaru hodo hikaru ichiban boshi!_

_[Umi/Maki:] Itsuka sonna koishite mitakatta!_

_[Nozomi/Hanayo:] Mou iranai yo mune no bureeki wa!_

_[Eli:] Mitsume au tame ni umareta futari ni natteku!_

_[All:] Aa "moshimo" wa hoshikunai no sa "motto" ga suki angel!_

_[All:] Tsubasa wo tada no kazari ni wa shinai!_

_[All:] Aa "moshimo" wa hoshikunai kedo "motto" wa suki angel!_

_[All:] Ashita janai daiji na toki wa!_

_[All:] Ima nanda to ki ga tsuite kokoro no habataki wa tomaranai!_

As the first chorus closed out, the medley transitioned once more, this time to a dark and foreboding track off of the album Queen II. After playing along for a little bit, Maki jumped up from the piano and began singing.

_[Maki:] I reign with my left hand, I rule with my right!_

_[Maki:] I'm lord of all darkness, I'm queen of the night!_

_[Maki:] I've got the poweeeeeeer! Now do the march of the Black Queen!_

_[Hanayo:] My life is in your hands, I'll fo and I'll fie!_

_[Maki:] I'll be what you make me I'll do what you like!_

_[Maki:] I'll be a bad boy! I'll be your bad boy!_

_[Maki:] I'll do the march of the Black Queen! Yeah! Yeah! Wooahhh yeaaaah!  
_

Maki then returned to her piano after dancing around on stage a bit as Nico played a short guitar solo.

_[All:] Walking true to style!_

_[2Y:] She's vulgar, 'buse, and vile!_

_[1Y/3Y:] Fie-fo the black queen tattoos all her pies!_

_[All:] She boils and she bakes and she never dots her "I's!"_

Hanayo then played a short drum fill that led into Rin singing the beginning of the next song.

_[Rin:]_ _Hello, uta ni yobarete!_

_[Rin:] Hikari afureru machi wa kaanibaru mitai!_

_[Rin:]_ _Hello, kotaete mitara!  
_

_[Rin:] Kitto ippo zutsu sekai hirogaru yo hello!_

_[Rin:]_ _Odoridasu kousaten de minna odorokanai!_

_[Maki:]_ _Nanimo kamo jiyuu nano?_

_[Hanayo:] Nagareru hito no nami ni!_

_[Maki:]_ _Nomikomaresou ni naru yo!_

_[Hanayo:] Shiranai kotoba no melody!_

_[Rin:]_ _Fushigi to chikara ga waite kuru!_

Then, the chorus began with an energy-filled drum fill by Hanayo.

_[1Y:] Hello, hoshi o kazoete!_

_[1Y:] Korekara deau koto o uranaeba!_

_[1Y:] Hello, yosoku fukanou!?  
_

_[1Y:] Kitto issho nara zenbu tanoshimeru hello!  
_

_[1Y:] Ashita okitara dou naru kana! Doushiyou kana!_

The song continued for a few more bars before the band changed gears again, now playing the outro ballad section of Bohemian Rhapsody.

_Oooooh, yeah! Oooooh, yeah!_

_Nothing really matters... Anyone can see..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_To me..._

Then, Hanayo grabbed a mallet from behind her as she readied herself to bang a gong behind her as the song closed out.

_Anyway... The wind... Blows..._

Then, Hanayo smacked the gong with the mallet, producing a loud boom that echoed across the stadium as the crowd cheered. Hanayo then quickly sat back down at her drum set and said quickly in English, "One! Two! Three! Four! One! Two! Three! Four!"

The band then began playing an instrumental version of Bring Back That Leroy Brown from Sheer Heart Attack, also pitched up. As the band played along to the upbeat song, the crowd clapped along to the album deep cut. Then, halfway through, Maki sang the line, "Oh, you're my cutie pie! Yeah!" The band then went back to playing the song as normal. Then, in what was the third verse of the song instrumentally, all other instruments stopped as Nico plucked the strings on her guitar on the upper part of the neck to simulate the sound of a ukelele, playing a solo for three bars and eliciting loud cheers from the audience. Then, the song continued on as normal before it ended with a few lines.

_[Maki:] Cutie piiiiiie... ([Nico:] Cutie piiiiiie...)_

_[All:] Bring that big bad Leroy back! Want him back!_

Honoka then addressed the crowd as the band got up and bowed. "Thank you! All of you! See you all soon!" The crowd went wild as they clapped and cheered for the band, which had made a triumphant entrance and exit. The world saw what µ's was made of, and they loved all 36 minutes of it.

* * *

 

Afterwards, below stage, the band hi-fived each other and cheered. Maki said to Nico, "You rocked it out there!"

"Same to you," Nico replied. She then turned to the whole band. "Everyone, I think we all just made music history tonight."

"I got the same feeling," Eli replied. "I mean, how many people do you think were watching around the world? Hundreds of millions!"

"I'm checking social media right now," Kotori said as she checked her phone. "And right now, we have a Japanese hashtag and an English hashtag at the top of Twitter's trending section. Guys, we've officially hit the top."

"Hell yeah," Honoka yelled out as she jumped into the air, filled with energy.

Rin replied to the group, "We all rocked it for sure." She then turned to Hanayo. "Especially you, Kayo-chin! You were an awesome drummer!"

"Thank you," Hanayo replied, blushing. "I always try to do my best." Then, she noticed that Rin's expression had changed. "Huh? Rin-chan? What's wrong?"

"Uh oh," Rin replied as she clutched her stomach. "Hey, uh, Hanayo, get me a garbage can..."

Umi noticed this and said as she ran over, "What's wrong?"

"I think Rin's sick," Hanayo replied. "I don't know why." She then handed Rin a garbage can.

Honoka noticed this too as Rin began to heave. "Rin-chan?! What's wrong?!"

Rin then threw up into the garbage can. "Agh, fuck..." As she threw up again, she caught her breath and wiped some vomit off of her face. "Holy shit, I hate doing that..."

Maki asked her as the rest of the band huddled around her, "Rin, what happened?"

"Guys..." Rin then took a deep breath as she kept another upchuck down. "I... I think I'm pregnant."

Hanayo then said, dumbfounded, "Pregnant?"

"Yeah... I got off of my birth control shortly before me and Takao-kun got engaged... I haven't had a period in 8 weeks. I didn't tell you guys because I was worried how you'd react." Rin then threw up again.

Honoka asked, "Does he know?"

"Yes," Rin replied. "He knows."

Hanayo then smiled and hugged Rin, surprising the latter. "Ahhh! My best friend is gonna be a mom!"

Rin laughed. "Eheheh... Yeah..." She then turned to Honoka. "Hey, Honoka-chan, I... I don't want to leave for the next tour... I'll stay, even with the baby."

"I was just gonna ask that," she replied. "I think you can stay. After all, by the time the Asian leg is over, you'll be like, what, 3-4 months in? You'll be fine." She then patted Rin on the back. "Good luck with the baby, by the way."

Rin smiled and replied. "Thanks, Honoka-chan."

 


	19. Love and Conquest

_**August 29, 2020** _

At a ceremony in a banquet hall in Tokyo, Rin and Takao were to marry. All of µ's acted as her bridesmaids, and Hanayo was her maid of honor. Dia, who had taken a class on how to ordain weddings as part of an extracurricular activity back in Uranohoshi, ministered the wedding. Both the Hoshizora family and the Matoi family attended. As the guests, numbering around 150, watched, Rin, wearing a beautiful white dress, and her father walked down the aisle as Takao awaited her. The short-haired cat-like girl beamed with happiness as she stared at him. Then, Rin's father told her, "Rin, this is it. This is the day you become a woman."

"Thank you," Rin replied as she hugged her father. The two then shared a short laugh. Rin then faced Takao, who wore a fancy tuxedo.

Dia then began, "Welcome, one and all, to this day of celebration. It's great to have all of you here to witness the union of Takao and Rin as husband and wife before God. Together, we will share in the joys of their wedding, both with the outward celebration of this occasion and with an internal appreciation for the love that surrounds us. Takao and Rin, you two have the opportunity to build an amazing life together. You are blessed to share this experience with the loved ones gathered here to support you as you embark on this journey together. As the Bible reminds us in Corinthians,  _"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails."_ May you all remember and cherish this ceremony, for on this day, with love, we will forever bind Takao and Rin together."

Hanayo, watching from the aisle, thought to herself,  _"Here we go!"_

"Now, I highly doubt this will get a reply from anyone, and I lowkey don't wanna do this, but if there is anyone in attendance who has cause to believe that this couple should not be joined in marriage, you may speak now or forever hold your peace." There was nothing but silence in response. "Exactly. Now, marriage is more than a simple exchanging of rings or combining of material assets. Rather, it is an indescribably powerful shared commitment. While today I will legally bind you together, the truly important bonds we form today are largely invisible to the world, existing primarily in the unfilled corners of your heart. Marriage is one of life's greatest gifts, and it is a blessing to make these promises with your soulmate. As you hold onto one another, you will find deeper levels of joy, happiness and peace together. Your marriage is the foundation upon which you will build the rest of your lives and, despite any adversity, will always be there to sustain you. Takao and Rin, take a moment to sense the tremendous amount of love radiating throughout this space. As you stand here today, before God, before those gathered here in your honor, and before one another, take note that after you speak your vows this day your lives will never be the same. Marriage, regardless of any preconceived notions you might have, has the capacity to deepen and challenge and strengthen you and your relationship in ways that you never thought possible. The joy you'll find as you pursue your shared lives will fuel you to face head-on the challenges you'll encounter on this Earth. On your journeys together, keep your spouse in the space of highest priority in your heart. Learn to work together, to laugh together, and to love together. Don't get caught up in worldly things that will draw you apart. Instead, focus on your shared devotion and turn inward. As your relationship strengthens you will find that you come to share a remarkable love; a love that is both abundantly given and freely accepted."

Rin thought to herself,  _"The Consecration should be soon! Here it is!"_

"As we celebrate this bond of unity today Under the eyes of God," Dia began as she read the Consecration. "It is important that we keep in mind that, while this is certainly an occasion of tremendous joy, the promises we witness here today are serious and life-altering commitments. It is with simultaneous feelings of elation and expressions of respect that we proceed. Now, Rin-chan, may you publicly speak your commitment to your partner?"

"I shall," Rin replied. "Matoi Takao, today I take you to be my husband. I join my life with yours. I promise to love and to honor you; to treasure you and to respect you; to walk with you side-by-side in joy and sorrow. I vow to be honest, caring, and truthful; to love you as you are, and not as I want you to be; and to grow old by your side as your love and best friend. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward."

"Takao-san," Dia said to him. "You may proceed."

"I shall," Takao replied. "Hoshizora Rin, today I take you to be my wife; I join my life with yours. I promise to love and to honor you; to treasure you and to respect you; to walk with you side-by-side in joy and sorrow. I vow to be honest, caring, and truthful; to love you as you are, and not as I want you to be; and to grow old by your side as your love and best friend. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward."

"Excellent," Dia replied. "Now, join your hands." The couple then joined hands. "Rin, do you take Takao to live together in the union of marriage? To take him as your best friend and partner in life? To honor, cherish, and love him, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for all of your days?"

"I do."

"Takao, do you take Rin to live together in the union of marriage? To take her as your best friend and partner in life? To honor, cherish, and love her, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for all of your days?"

"I do."

"Good, good," Dia replied as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Ah, sorry about that." The three of them then laughed. "Ah... Now, the wedding ring's circular shape reflects the unending power of love – a force with no beginning and no end. You should wear these rings proudly, and let them remind you each day of your commitment to one another. Rin, repeat after me: I, Rin."

"I, Rin."

"Give you, Takao, this ring as a symbol of my love."

"Give you, Takao, this ring as a symbol of my love."

"As I place it on your finger."

"As I place it on your finger."

"I commit the whole of my heart and soul to you."

"I commit the whole of my heart and soul to you."

"I promise to cherish you for the rest of my days."

"I promise to cherish you for the rest of my days."

"I give you all that I am, and accept all that you are."

"I give you all that I am, and accept all that you are." Rin then placed a ring on Takao's left ring finger.

Dia then began Takao's turn. "Takao, repeat after me: I, Takao."

"I, Takao."

"Give you, Rin, this ring as a symbol of my love."

"Give you, Rin, this ring as a symbol of my love."

"As I place it on your finger."

"As I place it on your finger."

"I commit the whole of my heart and soul to you."

"I commit the whole of my heart and soul to you."

"I promise to cherish you for the rest of my days."

"I promise to cherish you for the rest of my days."

"I give you all that I am, and accept all that you are."

"I give you all that I am, and accept all that you are." He then did the same to her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to pronounce Takao and Rin as husband and wife, sealed together today both in law and in love." The crowd then applauded. By now, the rest of µ's were crying tears of joy, including Hanayo. "Takao, you may kiss the bride." Takao then took Rin in for a long and passionate kiss. Though it lasted for 15 seconds, it felt like a lifetime as everything else faded away from them. After they split, Dia smiled and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Takao and Rin Matoi!" The crowd then cheered and applauded.

Rin then turned to Hanayo and hugged her, saying, "I did it, Kayo-chin..."

"You sure did," she replied as she smiled. "You sure did."

* * *

_**September 4, 2020** _

"Welcome for coming on the show," Sarah said to Maki as she introduced her on her radio show. "Now, Maki-chan, let me ask you first off, are you ready for the upcoming Asian leg of the Shove It Tour?"

"Of course," Maki replied. "The whole band is ready. When we, uh, when we toured in North America, we kept our fanbase tied over here with live and delayed viewings of our first night in New York and our first night in Mexico City, which were also successfully shown in Europe, South America, and even some parts of Africa as delayed viewings. Overall, I think we had live viewings in... In... I think we had like 600-something when you combined both concerts, plus about 800-something delayed ones. We've done these for concerts in Japan before, but never on this large of a scale. Overall, those viewings went very well. They also helped really promote the upcoming leg of the tour. Right now, all but one of the first 10 or so concerts in Japan are sold out, and the last one probably will be tomorrow. We rehearsed yesterday, and we're gonna actually rehearse tonight, too."

"Good idea," Sarah replied as she shuffled some papers around. "Now, I assume you've heard about the nasty review Rolling Stones left for you guys, right?"

"I did," the redhead replied as she nodded. "And me, Honoka-chan, and Nozomi-chan gave them a piece of our minds. How dare they accuse us of being traitors to our own community just for playing rock. It was also insulting for them to say that we're the product of sexism. I'm just glad that many people reacted the same way we did."

"I fully agree. Now, speaking of rock, I gotta ask, have you heard of fans in Japan coming up with new wotagei for your new songs and covers of Queen?"

"Ah, wotagei," Maki replied. "I love that so much. In America, we really didn't have that, since many of the fans there were new and were never exposed to that. Here, well, I heard that during the live viewings, many fans were confused as to how to dance and chant to the new songs. Bohemian Rhapsody in particular threw a lot of fans off. About the only consistency there was that all the glow sticks were red, and they all went dark during the Opera Section, which I think is nice since it seems to have been out of respect for Queen themselves. Warning From The Heavens is another confusing song, as fans apparently had to rapidly change colors due to the vocals. However, I think that over time, the wotagei will stabilize."

"I think so, too," Sarah replied. "Now, it's been said recently by critics that your band's performance at the Olympics was a game changer. Some have even begun to call it "The Greatest 36 Minutes in Japanese Music History." How do you feel about that?"

Maki then laughed. "Well, I think we did a very good job on stage, especially with the limited setlist we had to have due to time constraints. We didn't screw anything up, and we got a massive amount of exposure around the world. I don't know if I would call it the greatest. After all, I'm sure you know already, but I think Queen at Live Aid was the greatest moment in live music history. I remember that soon after the concert, my girlfriend, Riko-chan, shared with me some stats about viewership, and apparently, we were watched by over 1.5 billion people around the world, which is insane to think about."

"That many? Holy crap!" Sarah then laughed. "Say, that reminds me. Some fans have wondered why you're so public and forward about your relationship with Sakurauchi Riko. What do you have to say to those seemingly narrow-minded fans?"

"I'm glad you said narrow-minded, because that's sort of what they are. I get it, "idols shouldn't date," yadda yadda yadda, but the thing is, I don't see Rin or Eli getting this attention, even though the latter has been dating the same guy since 2013, and the former not only just got married, but is pregnant. I think it may very well have to do with the fact that I'm dating a girl. Perhaps some think that my relationship with Riko-chan or my sexuality is "only temporary" until I can settle down with a man. Thing is, my sexuality isn't, and sure, I'll settle down one day, but there's just as much of a chance of it being with another girl as there is it being with a guy. Then, some think that I'm completely gay, which is also untrue. I'm bisexual, and you know that already, darling. If, God forbid, my relationship with Riko falls through, I may end up with a guy or with a girl. Is it that hard to get that through the heads of people? And no, bisexual people like myself, or Nozomi, or Riko, or Mari, or Tsubasa, or your sister Leah are not just lesbians denying they're gay or straight girls pretending to be gay. So, what would I say to them? I would say, well, I'm glad you like our music, so please, respect us or stop listening."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Sarah replied. "Now, this upcoming leg of the tour will see you go to mainland China, correct?"

"Yep."

"Will that be the first time the band has been there?"

"Indeed," Maki replied before she drank some water. "China represents a huge opportunity for us, since there's so many people there, and many of them just eat up anything that comes from Japan pop-culture wise. Our songs are doing fairly well in the charts over there, and Warning From The Heavens peaked at like #3 over there, so there is certainly at least some demand for us over there."

"I bet there's a lot of it. So, any ideas for the next album yet?"

"Well," Maki replied. "We were discussing it among ourselves, and we think that we'll go back into the studio soon after we finish this tour. We got a few ideas floating around, but nothing concrete as of yet. Also, recently, I had the opportunity to talk to Adam Lambert, who's been touring with Queen's remaining members for the past like 8 years and is actually recording new music with them, in fact. Me, Riko, and him in fact recorded a song together on the new Queen+Adam Lambert album that should be coming out in January of next year. We got together and recorded the vocals in literally a single day on August 24th in Tokyo. I got to meet Brian May and Roger Taylor during recording, and believe me, it was amazing to be in the same room as them. They were impressed by our performances, and Brian himself said that our renditions of some of Queen's works were very well-executed and well-rehearsed. The song will be on the new album, and it may or may not be released as a single before then."

"Well, that is certainly news. I can't wait to see what that album has in store, as well as whatever µ's has in store for us next. What's the name of the upcoming Queen+Adam Lambert album, by the way?"

"During the recording sessions, Adam and the band had said that they had finalized a name. That name was made public a few days ago. The album will be called Room Service. It's an homage to the Marx Brothers' films, which A Night At The Opera and A Day At The Races were named after. It's certainly fitting, since in the catalog of Marx Brothers' films, it comes after A Day At The Races, which comes after A Night At The Opera. Aside from featuring new songs, the album will also feature two reworked and unreleased collaborations between Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson, titled Victory and State of Shock, the latter of which was later re-released originally with Mick Jagger on vocals, and the former of which has never seen the light of day until now, which is a shame since both of those are very good, based on demo tapes that have leaked online. A third demo the two did was released on Queen Forever some time ago called There Must Be More To Life Than This, which really shows how well the two late singers sang together."

"Queen and Michael Jackson sounds like a match-up made in heaven," Sarah replied. "Maybe Queen, Sakurauchi Riko, and Nishikino Maki is one, too." They both then laughed. "Ladies and gentleman, you heard it right here! Look out for Queen+Adam Lambert's Room Service, coming January 2021!"

* * *

 

_**September 10, 2020** _

Today was the big day! µ's were to play their first regular concert on the Asian leg of the Shove It Tour, and they were to play it at the familiar Tokyo Dome, where the band had triumphed in Love Live when they were in high school. Now, the stadium was filled with 52,000 screaming fans, all awaiting the band on stage. For this tour, Rin would slow down slightly on stage, since she was now 2 and a half months pregnant, but she still fully intended to give it her all.

As Kotori started up the A Day At The Races overture through her control panel, she said to Honoka and Maki, "Okay, we'll be on shortly." As the overture started, the crowd cheered, many waving light sticks. The whole band got ready to emerge onto stage before walking out onto the dark stage to take their positions. Hanayo sat down at the drums and sighed before brushing her hair back as Maki grabbed a mic stand. For this concert, the band wore their No Brand Girls outfits.

Then, at the end of the overture, Nozomi began playing the guitar riff of Tie Your Mother down before a blast of pyrotechnics preceded Maki appearing at the front of the stage to thunderous cheers and applause. The light sticks in the audience all turned red. "Ooooooooooh yeah! Ohhhh yeah!"

_Get your party gown! Get your pigtail down! Get your heart beatin', baby!_

_I got my timing right! I got my act all tight! It's gonna be tonight, my little schoolbabe!_

_Your mama says you don't, and your daddy says you won't, and I'm burning up inside!_

_Ain't no way I'm gonna lose out this time! Oh no!_

Then, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Lock your daddy outta doors! I don't need him nosing around!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

Maki then took over again, singing the next verse as she pointed at the audience.

_"You're such a dirty louse! Go get outta my house!"_

_That's all I ever get from your... Aaaagh!_

_Family ties! In fact I don't think I ever heard a single little civil word from those guys!_

_But you know I don't give a light! I'm gonna make out alright!_

_I've got a sweetheart hand to put a stop to all that grousin' an' snipin'!_

Once again, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Take your little brother swimming with a brick! That's alright!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Or you)_

_Ain't! No! Friend! Of! Mine! (Maki: Ain't no friend of mine!)_

As with before, Umi began playing the solo of the song as the light sticks changed in color to blue for her solo spot.

_Your momma and your daddy gonna plague me 'til I die!_

_Why can't they understand I'm just a peace lovin' guy?! Ooooooh!_

For the final chorus, the whole band joined in again.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Get your big, big, big, big daddy outta doors!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

_(Maki: All your love tonight!)_

Umi, Nozomi, and Nico then continued playing their guitars as Maki danced around on stage and said, "Awwwwww yeah!" Then, the guitars ceased as Hanayo did a drum fill before closing out the song with the guitars. Finally, a final clash of cymbals signaled the end of the rocker as the stage went dark again. Then, a solitary guitar from Umi began playing as the next song began to thunderous applause.

_[All:] Tashika na ima yori mo, atarashii yume tsukamaetai!_

_[All:] Daitan ni tobidaseba! O.K. my life!_

_[All:] Nozomi wa ookiku ne, se nobi datteba takaku tooku!_

_[All:] Mabushii ashita dakishime ni yukou!_

_[All:] Zenbu kanaeyou!_

_[Eli/Kotori:] Sou da yo shinjiru dake de!_

_[Honoka:] Gungun mae ni susumu yo!_

_[All:] Kimi ga!_

Then, the chorus began.

_[All:] Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!_

_[All:] Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!_

_[Honoka]: Nando demo akiramezu ni! Sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_[All:] Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!_

_[All:] Atsui mama de habataiteku!_

_[All:] Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_

_[All:] Yuzuranai hitomi ga... daisuki!_

_[Honoka]: Daisuki!_

Then, the song moved into the second verse.

_[All:] Naite mo sora no iro kawaranai shi aoi mama de!_

_[All:] Ima sugu ni, aitai ne! O.K. Sunshine!_

_[All:] Narande kanjitai rikutsu ja naku soba ni itara!_

_[All:] Kimochi ga gutto chikadzuku imi ga sugu ni tsutawaru yo!_

_(Eli/Kotori): Sou da ne dare mo ga hitotsu!_

_(Honoka): Motteru yuuki no kakera wa!_

_[All:] Kimi to! Issho datteba zutto ne!_

_[All:]_   _Omoitsuki de ii kara oikakete!_

_[All:]  Kokoro odoru basho wo sagasou!_

_(Eli): Tsumazuite okiagatte! (Kotori): Mitsumeaeru ureshii bouken!_

_[All:]  Egao wa doko made todoku kana!_

_[All:]  Yakusoku to ka iranai kedo!_

_[All:]  Itsu made mo kimi to itai!  
_

_[All:]  Kakenukete issho ni... Kirakira! Kirakira!_

As always, Maki got up from the piano and began to do call-and-response with the audience alongside Rin.

_(Maki): Kirakira! (Audience: Kirakira!)_

_[All:] Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai!_

_(Rin): Daisuki! (Audience: Daisuki!)_

_[All:] Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai!_

_[Maki:] <(JP) Alright, let's go!> Yeeaaaah! (Audience: Yeeaaaah!) Yeeaaaah! (Audience: Yeeaaaah!) Yeeaaaaaaaaah! (Audience: Yeeaaaaaaaaah!) Oooooooooh! (Audience: Oooooooooh!)_

_[Rin:] Nya nya nya! (Audience: Nya nya nya!) Rin-chan to ieba?! (Audience: Yellow da yo!) Iiiii de dah de da daaaa! (Audience: Iiiii de dah de da daaaa!) Iiiii do da dee deh doh! (Audience: Iiiii do da dee deh doh!) <(JP) (You guys are great at this!)>_

_[Maki/Rin:] Ohhhh yeah!_

Nozomi then began playing a guitar solo as the audience clapped rapidly to the song, before the whole band joined in again. Maki also returned to the piano.

_(Honoka): Ohhhhh! Let's go!_

_[All:] Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!_

_[All:] Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!_

_[All:] Nando demo akiramezu ni sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_[All:] Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!  
_

_[All:] Atsui mama de habataiteku!  
_

_[All:] Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_  

_[All:] Yuzuranai hitomi ga... Daisuki! Daisuki!_

Once the song closed out, the whole audience cheered loudly, loving the extended vocal improv section added to the song. Honoka then addressed the crowd, saying to them in Japanese, "Hello, Tokyo! How are you all doing tonight?! Wonderful! Wonderful! It's so good to be back home after so long out on the road in North America. I see some familiar faces out there in the crowd from our past concerts from when we were a school idol group up until our most recent tour in Japan last year. I also see a lot of new faces! That's good! Hey, Maki-chan, take a look at this!"

"I'm looking alright!" Maki received a round of cheers. "Thank you! Ahhh, Tokyo, our hometown, the place where we built ourselves. It's so nice to be back in the Tokyo Dome after 7 years. Let me tell you, it feels different when you're the headlining act and not one of many groups performing in a competition, which, by the way, is happening again here very soon, so check it out! You may see the next big thing walk through those doors in Love Live, just like we did when we were still in high school!"

* * *

 

Later on in the concert, Hanayo talked to the audience from her drumset. "Alright... Let's move on from the serious stuff and do a more upbeat song. Let me tell you, we got quite a bit of hate for that last one, but I don't think you guys minded it, right?" The audience agreed with her. "Yeah. Now, let me tell you, the reason I got into drumming is actually because of my mom. She was the in-studio drummer for her idol group when she was an idol like us before she got married and had me, and she basically taught me everything I know about the drums. Well, her and several famous drummers, like Keith Moon, Roger Taylor, John Bonham, Yoshiki, you name it. Now, this next one is a song off the new album called simply On My Own." Nico then began playing the song's riff.

_[Hanayo:] It's been fun, but now I gotta go, so don't try to drag me down!_

_[Hanayo:] It's been fun, but this has gone stale, so don't try to spin me around!_

_[Hanayo:] I wish you farewell, I wish it could last, but alas this did not, and I feel bad, but I gotta live on my own!_

Then, the song entered into its chorus as the time signature changed from 4/4 to 3/4.

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, go live my life!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, you need to, leave me be!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, explore my mind!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, on my own, on my own!_

For the second verse, the time signature changed back to 4/4. Hanayo had decided to throw in a signature change as a challenge to herself.

_[Rin:] You tell me, you can't live without me, but yes you really can!_

_[Rin:] Don't give me, your stupid lies and talk, go live your own damn life!_

_[Rin:] I wish you farewell, you say I'll regret it, but I really won't though! You say all that, but I gotta live on my own!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, go live my life!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, you need to, leave me be!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, explore my mind!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, on my own, on my own!_

Once the signature changed back to 4/4, Nico played a guitar solo that lasted a full minute as Maki danced around on stage. "Hey!" The audience then replied back to her in kind. "Yeaah! Alright, alright! Okay, okay! Yeaaaaah!" Maki had the audience eating out the palm of her hand by now. Then, the final chorus began.

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, go live my life!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, you need to, leave me be!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, I need to, explore my mind!_

_[Hanayo/Maki/Rin:] On my own, on my own, on my own!_

As the last line ended, the song slowed down in tempo before it stopped. The audience then cheered as Maki then quietly strutted to the piano. Once she handed her mic off, the band rearranged themselves on stage to their original positions as she tuned her piano mic and cracked her fingers in preparation. She then said into the piano mic, "This is..." She then realized it hadn't bee tuned up. "Turn it up, Kotori-chan!" Kotori nodded and turned her mic on from her control panel. "There we go! Ah... This is... Well, you'll know what it is when I begin playing it." Maki then began to play Bohemian Rhapsody to much applause.

_Mamaaaaaa... Just killed a maaaaaan..._

_Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead..._

_Mamaaaaaa... Life had just beguuuuuun..._

_But now I've gone and thrown it all awaaaaaay..._

A clash of cymbals by Hanayo signaled the next lines of the song. By now, all the light sticks in the audience were turned to red

_Mamaaaaaa... Oooooooooh..._

_Didn't mean to make you cry..._

_If I'm not back again this time tomorrow..._

_Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters..._

For the next part, Umi joined in by plucking her guitar strings to the melody of Maki's piano.

_Too laaaaaate... My time has come..._

_Send shivers down my spine, bodies aching all the time..._

_Goodbye, everybody... I've got to go..._

_Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth!_

Nico then joined in, playing a low-pitched rhythm guitar part as the song picked up in intensity. The audience knew every word of the song.

_Mamaaaaaa... Oooooooooh..._

_I don't wanna die..._

_I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!_

Nozomi then moved to the front of the stage, confidently playing Bohemian Rhapsody's guitar solo. As she played along, the light sticks in the audience changed color to purple for her. Then, when she ended, the solo, she bowed, Maki jumped up from the piano, and the band exited to backstage as the video of the opera section of the original song, again, pitched up a semitone, played on the screen on stage, accompanied by a light show that included pulsing lights underneath Hanayo's drum set. All the light sticks in the audience went dark out of respect for Queen themselves, as had become custom throughout the fanbase.

_I see a little silhouetto of a man!_

_Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?_

_THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTNING, VERY, VERY FRIGHTENING ME!_

_Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo Figaro!_

_Magnifico! (Oh, oh, oh, oh!)_

_I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me..._

_HE'S JUST A POOR BOY FROM A POOR FAMILY!  
_

_SPARE HIM HIS LIFE FROM THIS MONSTROSITY!_

_Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?_

_(Bismillah!) NO! WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_(Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_(Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!)_

_WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!) (Never, never...)_

_WILL NOT LET  YOU GO! (Never, never let me go!) (Oh, oh, oh oh!)_

_No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!_

_Oh mama mia, mama mia! MAMA MIA LET ME GO!  
_

_BEELZEBUB, HAS THE DEVIL PUT ASIDE FOR-_

As soon as the last line was uttered on the video, the band began to reemerge onto the dark stage. Nico, Umi, Eli, and Hanayo all began playing their instruments to signal the return of the band.

_ME! FOR ME! FOR ME!!!_

A massive blast of pyrotechnics from the front of the stage sent the crowd into a frenzy and signaled the full return of the band as Maki emerged from the smoke, energetically dancing across the stage with her mic stand in hand as she belted out the rock section. Nico took over on the lead guitar for this part of the song. The audience sang loudly with her as their light sticks flashed through all 9 colors of the band.

_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?!_

_So you think you can love me and leave me to DIIIIIIE?!_

_Ohhhhh, baby! Can't do this to me, baby!_

_Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!_

Then, Maki returned to her piano as Nico closed out the rock section of the song and Maki began playing the piano again. After playing a series of notes, the band moved into the final section of the song.

_Oooooh, yeah! Oooooh, yeah!_

_Nothing really matters... Anyone can see..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_To me..._

Then, Hanayo grabbed a mallet from behind her as she readied herself to bang a gong behind her as the song closed out.

_Anyway... The wind... Blows..._

Then, Hanayo smacked the gong with the mallet, producing a loud boom as Maki stood up from her piano with her mic and stand in one hand and her fist raised in triumph in the other. "Alright! You guys certainly improved your wotagei with the light sticks! Good job singing as well!"


	20. Chapter 20

_**May 29, 2016** _

Hachiro stood idly by as his friend Hisaya tried in vain to hit on two girls nearby from Uranohoshi. The girls didn't seem to mind, but were clearly not impressed by Hisaya's skills. Hachiro thought to himself,  _"Ugh, just give it up already, they're not gonna be swayed by you, man."_

Then, out of the corner of his eye, as he looked up from his phone, he saw a girl with smoky-gray hair and blue eyes, wearing a first-year uniform as she waved goodbye to an orange-haired girl in the distance. Almost instantly, he was hooked in by her looks. The girl said to herself, "Ah, another day at Uranohoshi..." Then, she noticed Hachiro looking at her. "Huh? Is there something wrong, sir?"

Then, Hachiro felt his hands loosen as his phone dropped to the ground. "Oh, crap!"

The girl ran over and picked the phone up for him. "Here you go." She then looked at it, finding cracks in the screen. "Oof, looks like the screen's cracked real good."

"It's okay," he replied. "Say, what's your name?"

The girl, surprised, replied to him, "Well... It's Watanabe You. What's you's?"

"Akiyama Hachiro," he replied. "I go to school in the main part of the city."

"I actually live that way myself," You replied to him as he took his phone back. "But I go to high school out here since my best friend lives out here."

"I assume she's the one girl with orange hair you said goodbye to?"

"Yep," You replied as she nodded. "That's Takami Chika. We've known each other for a long time." She then looked over at his friend. "So, what brings you and your friend over there out to Uchiura?"

"Eh," he replied as he laughed. "He dragged me out here because he wanted to pick up girls from your school or something."

Immediately, You burst out laughing. After she calmed herself down, she said, "Wow, that's rich. I see he's had no luck so far."

* * *

 

_**August 28, 2016** _

As Chika and You talked over the phone, the latter admitted something to the former. "Wait, you and Akiyama-san did what?!"

"Yeah," You replied as she chuckled. "We, uh... Yeah, we went that far..."

"But... It hasn't been long..." Chika was confused as to why You had chosen to lose her virginity to Hachiro. "Why now?"

"It just felt right," You replied as she tried to explain why. "It's a bit hard to explain. You'd know it better if you were dating someone too, Chika-chan." Don't worry, we were protected and everything."

"I suppose I would know better if I was," Chika replied. "Oh well, I got more important things to worry about than dating or boys." She then laughed. "Well, I suppose that as long as you weren't forced into anything you didn't want to do, I shouldn't have any issue with it, right?"

"Yeah," You replied. "I wasn't forced or anything at all. Don't worry, Chika-chan. I would tell you if I was."

* * *

_**September 1, 2018** _

The former third-years of Aqours, as well as Chika, were having a meeting to discuss the recording of new songs by the group, which had decided to go "professional" as they called it, now that they had successfully saved Uranohoshi from shutting down and had graduated. Already, the band was smart and had chosen to record many of their best-known high-school-era songs in a studio setting as the previous school year began to end. These recordings became  _Aqours I,_ which had been released today to much fanfare and put them officially on the map as a regular idol group. They were now almost finished recording their most popular high-school-era songs.

"So," Chika replied. "It's settled then. We'll begin recording later this month with the last of the big high-school-era songs, and after that, we'll get to work with these new ideas and the back catalog. With that recording studio in Numazu, the second-years and first-years—well, now third-years and second-years, of course—will be able to easily get this work done while still attending school."

"Sounds like a plan," Mari replied. "I got word back from America earlier, and it seems our fanbase in the West is growing rapidly. You know, I never thought we'd have a fanbase in the West."

"Me neither," Kanan replied. She then paused and looked at Dia and Chika. "Now, this may seem like a big change in topic, but... Do you ever get the feeling that someone you know is hiding something from you?"

Dia, surprised Kanan asked the question, replied to her, "Well, what do you mean?"

"Remember when we visited Tokyo for the first time?" Kanan thought to herself,  _"I really don't wanna sound like a bigot here..."_ "Anyone remember when Riko-chan hid that stuff from us in her shoe locker there?"

"Oh yeah," Chika replied as she laughed. "That was funny. I only got a glimpse of it, but it seems like they were manga of some kind."

"I got a glimpse too," Kanan replied. "And I think they were yuri."

Mari's eyes immediately shot up.  _"What?! Kanan brought this up now?! Oh no..."_ "Well, we don't know for sure, right?"

"I know for sure, actually," Kanan replied. "I looked up the only title I was able to read, and it is straight-up yuri." She then noticed that Dia was looking off. "Dia-chan, is there something wrong?"

"Uhhh..." She then proceeded to get up from her chair and looked around. "I gotta go!"

Kanan immediately got up and caught her as she attempted to run. "I may not be Yoshiko-chan, but I can still catch you." She then paused. "God, it feels so weird not hearing her say "IT'S YOHANE!" after I say that..." The 4 of them then all laughed, though Mari did so somewhat nervously.

As Dia sat back down, she sighed and told the group, "When we went to Tokyo for the most recent Love Live competition, Riko wanted me to buy her a bunch of R18 ero-manga. She laid out the titles for me and everything. Upon looking at many of the titles, I realized most of them were yuri, with the occasional straight one and even some yaoi ones." She blushed as she admitted this to the group. "It was... Interesting... To see some of the stuff, and it was an... Interesting... experience to buy it. By the way, Chika, do you know what yaoi means?"

"Not really," Chika replied as she shrugged.

"It's like yuri, but with two boys." Dia closed her nose up. "It... It was very lewd..."

Mari then interjected, "Well, are you guys gonna say if she's gay or not? If so, what's the damn point?"

"I think she's into other girls," Kanan replied. "And the point is that we will accept her as that, but I don't like the fact that it's been kept hidden from us despite us never showing any homophobia or having any."

"I see," Mari replied as she pondered to herself and calmed down. "I just don't think a witch hunt for evidence is necessary."

"It's not a witch hunt, though," Chika replied. "Knowing what I know now, and based on looking back on what I've seen, I agree completely with Kanan-chan."

* * *

_**February 6, 2019** _

As Riko played on the piano by herself in her room, she suddenly stopped as a thought came to her head. "Huh?" She then thought to herself,  _"Why do I keep picturing her?"_ She then shook her head and said to herself, "Ugh... Sakurauchi Riko, admit it, you're gay for Nishikino Maki..." Ever since she had first met Maki in person in September last year, Riko had occasionally talked to her, and had begun to grow deeply attracted to her. As she continued to picture Maki in her head, her thoughts turned sexual and she blushed. _"Damn it... I know she's bisexual, but I'm afraid to do anything with her because of the age difference. Will my parents approve?"_

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Maki scrolled through a bunch of photos on her phone and found one of her and Riko from September of last year. She smiled and said, "She's a nice girl. I hope she has a bright future ahead of her. She's also pretty cute." She then laughed. "Come on, Maki, she's 17 and a half, and you're 22. It'll never happen."

Oh, how wrong she was...

* * *

 

_**October 20, 2020** _

After having successfully toured in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, the band began what was going to be the first of 8 shows in Mainland China, 4 in Beijing and 4 in Shanghai. They had had no incidents in the past on the tour, but now, the whole band would be in for a rude awakening.

Earlier in the day, Honoka had been put in a bad mood because apparently the band's road crew had to bribe Chinese customs officials to leave Macau and head to Beijing because the size of the crew (25) exceeded the limit on the number of visas the Chinese government gave to groups going into the mainland. Then, the whole band was told that to cram as many people into the 4 concerts at Beijing National Stadium as possible, the government was going to have them perform to 100,000 people per night in a stadium designed to hold 80,000, eliciting concerns from the band about overcrowding. Even so, the band was determined to go ahead with the shows.

At the start of the concert, everything began much the same way as before, with Kotori starting the A Day At The Races Overture followed by Nozomi signalling the entrance of the band with a guitar riff before Maki began singing. For this concert, the band dressed in their Mogyutto "LOVE" de Sekkin Chuu! outfits, a song which ironically was not played on this tour.

_Get your party gown! Get your pigtail down! Get your heart beatin', baby!_

_I got my timing right! I got my act all tight! It's gonna be tonight, my little schoolbabe!_

_Your mama says you don't, and your daddy says you won't, and I'm burning up inside!_

_Ain't no way I'm gonna lose out this time! Oh no!_

Then, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Lock your daddy outta doors! I don't need him nosing around!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

Maki then took over again, singing the next verse as she pointed at the audience.

_"You're such a dirty louse! Go get outta my house!"_

_That's all I ever get from your... Aaaagh!_

_Family ties! In fact I don't think I ever heard a single little civil word from those guys!_

_But you know I don't give a light! I'm gonna make out alright!_

_I've got a sweetheart hand 1o put a stop to all that grousin' an' snipin'!_

Once again, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Take your little brother swimming with a brick! That's alright!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Or you)_

_Ain't! No! Friend! Of! Mine! (Maki: Ain't no friend of mine!)_

As Umi played the guitar solo, Maki shouted at the audience in Chinese, "Hello, Beijing! How are you all doing?!" She got a wave of cheers in response.

_Your momma and your daddy gonna plague me 'til I die!_

_Why can't they understand I'm just a peace lovin' guy?! Ooooooh!_

For the final chorus, the whole band joined in again.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Get your big, big, big, big daddy outta doors!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

_(Maki: All your love tonight!)_

As the song closed out, she bowed. When it did, she addressed the audience in Japanese, which the band did for any concerts in Asia. "Ahhh, it's so nice to be in Beijing for the first time. It's so beautiful, let me tell you. Now, do you wanna hear something from out high school-era work?" She got cheers in response. "Good, because I'd like to jump right into a song that my good friend Kousaka Honoka is the center of, and that song is called Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE!"

_[All:] Tashika na ima yori mo, atarashii yume tsukamaetai!_

_[All:] Daitan ni tobidaseba! O.K. my life!_

_[All:] Nozomi wa ookiku ne, se nobi datteba takaku tooku!_

_[All:] Mabushii ashita dakishime ni yukou!_

_[All:] Zenbu kanaeyou!_

_[Eli/Kotori:] Sou da yo shinjiru dake de!_

_[Honoka:] Gungun mae ni susumu yo!_

_[All:] Kimi ga!_

Then, the chorus began.

_Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!_

_[All:] Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!_

_[Honoka]: Nando demo akiramezu ni! Sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_[All:] Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!_

_[All:] Atsui mama de habataiteku!_

_[All:] Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_

_[All:] Yuzuranai hitomi ga... daisuki!_

_[Honoka]: Daisuki!_

Then, the song moved into the second verse.

_[All:] Naite mo sora no iro kawaranai shi aoi mama de!_

_[All:] Ima sugu ni, aitai ne! O.K. Sunshine!_

_[All:] Narande kanjitai rikutsu ja naku soba ni itara!_

_[All:] Kimochi ga gutto chikadzuku imi ga sugu ni tsutawaru yo!_

_(Eli/Kotori): Sou da ne dare mo ga hitotsu!_

_(Honoka): Motteru yuuki no kakera wa!_

_[All:] Kimi to! Issho datteba zutto ne!_

_[All:]_   _Omoitsuki de ii kara oikakete!_

_[All:]  Kokoro odoru basho wo sagasou!_

_(Eli): Tsumazuite okiagatte! (Kotori): Mitsumeaeru ureshii bouken!_

_[All:]  Egao wa doko made todoku kana!_

_[All:]  Yakusoku to ka iranai kedo!_

_[All:]  Itsu made mo kimi to itai!  
_

_[All:]  Kakenukete issho ni... Kirakira! Kirakira!_

As always, Maki got up from the piano and began to do call-and-response with the audience alongside Rin.

_(Maki): Kirakira! (Audience: Kirakira!)_

_[All:] Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai!_

_(Rin): Daisuki! (Audience: Daisuki!)_

_[All:] Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai!_

_[Maki:] Yeah! ([Audience:] Yeah!) [Maki:] Yeeah! ([Audience:] Yeeah!) [Maki:] Yeeeah! ([Audience:] Yeeeah!)_

_[Rin:] Okay, okay! ([Audience: Okay, okay!]) [Rin:] Alright, alright! ([Audience:] Alright, alright!)_

_[Maki:] Ooooooooh yeah! ([Audience: Ooooooooh yeah!)_

_[Rin:] Yeeaaaaaah! ([Audience: Yeeaaaaaah!)_

_[Maki/Rin:] Eeeeeeeeeeeehh doh! ([Audience: Eeeeeeeeeeeehh doh!)_

_[All:] Awwww yeah!_

Nozomi then began playing a guitar solo as the audience clapped rapidly to the song, before the whole band joined in again. Maki also returned to the piano.

_([Honoka:] Ohhhhh! Let's go!)_

_[All:] Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!_

_[All:] Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!_

_[All:] Nando demo akiramezu ni sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_[All:] Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!  
_

_[All:] Atsui mama de habataiteku!  
_

_[All:] Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_  

_[All:] Yuzuranai hitomi ga... Daisuki! Daisuki!_

Honoka then addressed the audience after the song closed out, saying to them in Chinese, "Hello, everyone! My name is Kousaka Honoka, and I'm so happy to finally meet all of you!" She then reverted to Japanese after she got applause and cheers. "Now, Rin-chan, I believe it's your turn to introduce the next song, is it not?"

"It sure is, nya," Rin replied with her trademark tic as she stood beside Honoka with her mic. "Now, how about we do a song off of the new album? This is a song called Shove It, and we hope you enjoy it, nya!"

Nozomi then began the song immediately with a heavy and rather upbeat riff for a bar before the rest of the band joined in.

_[Rin:] A deal's a deal you said, so we didn't complain_

_[Rin:] But then you took your words and threw them in the trash_

_[Rin:] You broke every promise, you were so damn vain_

_[Rin:] But now we are free, and we've made the dash_

_[Rin:] Away, from, your, claws! Away, from, your, filthy hands!_

The song then jumped into the first chorus, which was in Japanese like the first verse.

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] Go take your plan and shove it 'cause we don't need it_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] You sucked our money away, and gave us nothing at all_

_[All:] You, need, help! [Maki:] Oh yes, you do!_

This time, Rin went to the piano while Maki got up and sang her verse in English. The chorus was repeated afterwards, but also in English.

_[Maki:] You talk like you're some big shot who knows everything_

_[Maki:] But let me remind you that you only saw success because of us_

_[Maki:] Without us, you're done! Go take your meddling elsewhere_

_[Maki:] So be sure to turn the lights off and kiss my ass goodbye_

_[Maki:] Don't, fall, for, them! They, only, lie!_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] Go take your plan and shove it 'cause we don't need it_

_[Rin/Maki/Honoka:] You sucked our money away, and gave us nothing at all_

_[All:] You, need, help! [Maki:] Oh yes, you do!_

For the third verse, Maki returned to the piano while Honoka sang the third verse in Japanese, while the third chorus was in English.

 _[Honoka:]_   _Let me tell you, you almost had even me fooled_

_[Honoka:] I really thought you were going to be a help to us_

_[Honoka:] But I guess I was proven wrong, you blood-sucking leech_

_[Honoka:] No more will I let my guard down like that again_

_[Honoka:] I hope, you've, made, peace, with, yourself!_

_[All:] Go take your plan and shove it 'cause we don't need it_

_[All:] You sucked our money away, and gave us nothing at all_

_[All:] You, need, help! [Maki:] Oh yes, you do!_

The song then ended with a guitar solo by Umi that lasted for several bars before Maki ended it with one line in English.

_[Maki:] (Spoken) AND GOOD RIDDANCE!_

Maki then said to the audience, "Thank you! Now, you'll all find out who that song is addressed to later on in the concert when Honoka-chan tells you all with some rather colorful vocabulary, in Japanese **and** in Chinese, trust me." Then, suddenly, she saw a book fly onto the stage from the crowd. "Huh?!" She moved out of the way as it landed at her feet. "Now, what do we have here?"

Eli, holding the bass, looked over at it next to Maki and said to her, "It has you and Nico-chan in it."

"Oh my," Maki replied as she realized the contents of the comic book thrown on stage as Eli blushed. "It appears I have come into possession of a doujinshi featuring myself..." She then laughed. "Not bad, but the only real problem here is that her boobs aren't that big. Sorry, Nico-chan."

Nico replied, "Hey, c'mon!" The audience who could understand Japanese laughed. "Wait, why am I in it?"

"They feature me and you getting a little frisky," Maki replied. "Apparently, that's an actual thing in our band's fan base, and so is making doujinshi of us fucking. Hey, I'm 23 now, I can say whatever the hell I want on stage, can I not?"

Nico laughed on stage before she said into her mic, "Me and Maki-chan actually doing... Ha, that's rich..."

 


	21. Big Trouble in Mainland China

Later on in their 1st Beijing concert of 4, after On My Own, Maki got ready to do Bohemian Rhapsody, as had been done many times. She sat down at the piano and played a few short notes before saying, "You guys sure are a rowdy crowd. Hopefully, no more porn gets thrown up here. Anyways, uh, this is a song that you may not know the name of, but probably recognize in some form." She then cleared her throat and said to the crowd in Chinese, "This is a song called Bohemian Rhapsody." Most, but not all, of the crowd then cheered as Maki began playing the song on stage.

_Mamaaaaaa... Just killed a maaaaaan..._

_Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead..._

_Mamaaaaaa... Life had just beguuuuuun..._

_But now I've gone and thrown it all awaaaaaay..._

A clash of cymbals by Hanayo signaled the next lines of the song. By now, all the light sticks in the audience were turned to red

_Mamaaaaaa... Oooooooooh..._

_Didn't mean to make you cry..._

_If I'm not back again this time tomorrow..._

_Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters..._

For the next part, Umi joined in by plucking her guitar strings to the melody of Maki's piano.

_Too laaaaaate... My time has come..._

_Send shivers down my spine, bodies aching all the time..._

_Goodbye, everybody... I've got to go..._

_Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth!_

Nico then joined in, playing a low-pitched rhythm guitar part as the song picked up in intensity. The audience knew every word of the song.

_Mamaaaaaa... Oooooooooh..._

_I don't wanna die..._

_I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!_

Nozomi then moved to the front of the stage, confidently playing Bohemian Rhapsody's guitar solo. As she played along, the light sticks in the audience changed color to purple for her. Then, when she ended, the solo, she bowed, Maki jumped up from the piano, and the band exited to backstage as the video of the opera section of the original song played on the screen behind them. However, as the band walked, they heard a glaring mistake.

_(Silence, only piano)_

_Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?_

_THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTNING, VERY, VERY FRIGHTENING ME!_

Maki said to Kotori as they walked, "What the hell? What happened to the first line?"

"Oh no," Kotori replied as she realized what had happened. "I think I accidentally deleted the audio track for the version of the Opera Section we're supposed to use and accidentally left the one we used for the Olympics." She then facepalmed. "Fuck..."

Nozomi said to them, "Don't worry. It's not like the crowd is gonna care."

_Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Galileo Figaro!_

_Magnifico! (Oh, oh, oh, oh!)_

_I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me..._

_HE'S JUST A POOR BOY FROM A POOR FAMILY!  
_

_SPARE HIM HIS LIFE FROM THIS MONSTROSITY!_

_Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?_

_(Bismillah!) NO! WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_(Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let him go!)_

_(Bismillah!) WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!)_

_WILL NOT LET YOU GO! (Let me go!) (Never, never...)_

_WILL NOT LET  YOU GO! (Never, never let me go!) (Oh, oh, oh oh!)_

_No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!_

_Oh mama mia, mama mia! MAMA MIA LET ME GO!  
_

_BEELZEBUB, HAS THE DEVIL PUT ASIDE FOR-_

As soon as the last line was uttered on the video, the band began to reemerge onto the dark stage. Nico, Umi, Eli, and Hanayo all began playing their instruments to signal the return of the band.

_ME! FOR ME! FOR ME!!!_

A massive blast of pyrotechnics from the front of the stage sent the crowd into a frenzy and signaled the full return of the band as Maki emerged from the smoke, energetically dancing across the stage with her mic stand in hand as she belted out the rock section. Nico took over on the lead guitar for this part of the song. The audience sang loudly with her as their light sticks flashed through all 9 colors of the band.

_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?!_

_So you think you can love me and leave me to DIIIIIIE?!_

_Ohhhhh, baby! Can't do this to me, baby!_

_Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!_

Then, Maki returned to her piano as Nico closed out the rock section of the song and Maki began playing the piano again. After playing a series of notes, the band moved into the final section of the song.

_Oooooh, yeah! Oooooh, yeah!_

_Nothing really matters... Anyone can see..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_Nothing really matters..._

_To me..._

Then, Hanayo grabbed a mallet from behind her as she readied herself to bang a gong behind her as the song closed out.

_Anyway... The wind... Blows..._

Then, Hanayo smacked the gong with the mallet, producing a loud boom as Maki stood up from her piano with her mic and stand in one hand and her fist raised in triumph in the other. "Alright! Yeah! Now, before we get to our regular next song, we're gonna do something a little special for you all tonight. This is a song we have never done on stage before. This features Eli and Nozomi on the vocals, and in fact Nozomi wrote it a while back." She then sat back down at the piano.

"It sure is," Eli replied. "This song was in fact written, I believe, during the writing sessions that led to Snow Halation, right?"

"Yeah," Nozomi replied to her as she adjusted her guitar. "It didn't make it far back then because I thought it was too heavy on the subject matter of love." She thought to herself,  _"That, and the fact that it was written as a love confession to Eli."_  "So, let's break a few strings, shall we?" She then started off with a few power chords at the beginning. The trumpets in the original song were replaced by more guitars.

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Aaah, ah, ah, ah, ah, aaah, ah, ah, ah, ah!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Yume no meiro... Yume no meiro..._

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Aaah, ah, ah, ah, ah, aaah, ah, ah, ah, ah!_

_[Eli:] Akogare o kataru me ga, tooku o sagashiteru toki_

_[Eli:] Sabishiku naru watashi wa, Koko ni iru to iitai no_

_[Nozomi:] Aaaaah! Futari kiri de garasu no hanazono e to!_

_[Eli:] Daremo inai dare mo iranai!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Sotto kowaresou ni sakitai!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Himitsu no buranko anata to yurenagara ima!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Tada yasashiku mitsume au no! ([All but Eli/Nozomi:] Aaaah!)_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Koi ni koisuru ([All but Nozomi/Eli: Koisuru!) Shoujo ([All but Nozomi/Eli: Shoujo!) No shizuka na tameiki wa!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Lonely! Michtarita ([All: Lonely!)_

Instead of repeating the "aah's" from the beginning, Nozomi instead played the same notes on her guitar to bridge the gap to the second verse. As she did, she thought to herself,  _"This song is so beautiful, yet playing it still causes my heart some pain."_

_[Nozomi:] Tojikometai kokoro o, doko ni mo ikanai you ni_

_[Nozomi:] Sabishii no yo watashi to, koko ni ite yo itsumademo_

_[Eli:] Aaaaah! Yume no meiro garasu no chouchou tachi wa!_

_[Nozomi:] Sasoinagara sasowareteru!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Yubi de kowaresou na habataki_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Naisho no romansu anata o kanjitai no ni_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Mada setsunaku mitsumeru dake! ([All but Eli/Nozomi:] Aaaah!)_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] [Eli/Nozomi:] Koi ni koisuru ([All but Nozomi/Eli: Koisuru!) Shoujo de! ([All but Nozomi/Eli: Shoujo de!) Irarenai kimochi ni!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Naze! Kurushiku ([All: Naru no!)_

Nozomi then played the old trumpet solo on the original song on her guitar, a rather emotional combination of old and new. As she stared out onto the crowd, they all displayed a sea of blue and purple lightsticks, making her smile.

_[Eli:] Futari kiri no hanazono de nemuri ni tsuku_

_[Nozomi:] Kami o naderu sono te ga suki [Eli/Nozomi:] Motto!_

The choruses were then both played together a semitone sharper than before.

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Naisho no romansu anata o kanjitai no ni_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Mada setsunaku mitsumeru dake! ([All but Eli/Nozomi:] Aaaah!)_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] [Eli/Nozomi:] Koi ni koisuru ([All but Nozomi/Eli: Koisuru!) Shoujo de! ([All but Nozomi/Eli: Shoujo de!) Irarenai kimochi ni!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Naze! Kurushiku ([All: Naru no!)_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Himitsu no buranko anata to yurenagara ima!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Tada yasashiku mitsume au no! ([All but Eli/Nozomi:] Aaaah!)_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Koi ni koisuru ([All but Nozomi/Eli: Koisuru!) Shoujo no! ([All but Nozomi/Eli: Shoujo no!) Shizuka na tameiki wa!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Lonely! Michtarita ([All: Lonely!)_

_[All:] Aaah, ah, ah, ah, ah, aaah, ah, ah, ah, ah!_

_[Eli/Nozomi:] Yume no meiro... Yume no meiro..._

_[All:] Aaah, ah, ah, ah, ah, aaah, ah, ah, ah, ah!_

Then, as the song closed out, Hanayo did a short drum fill before the song began to fade away. Then, at the very end, she smacked the gong behind her to cheers and applause.

* * *

Later on, after the band minus Nozomi, Nico, and Umi went backstage as Brighton Rock transitioned into a guitar solo battle between the three of them, Honoka visited the road crew, who were eating in the back of the venue. As she popped into the dining area, she said, "Hello, everyone!"

"Hey, Honoka-chan," replied the roadie leader. Honoka noticed that the other roadies did not look well. "We, uh, have sort of a problem."

She then looked at their meals and noticed that many were half-eaten. "Oh my... What happened?"

Suddenly, one roadie rushed out of the dining area and towards a bathroom. The roadie crew's leader said to her, "I think most of us may have food poisoning."

Honoka then sighed and facepalmed in annoyance. "Fucking hell... I thought you guys got KFC."

"I don't think it was KFC," said another roadie before he rushed for a trashcan and vomited into it.

Maki then walked in, wondering what was going on. "What's going on he-?" She then saw what had happened and gasped. "Oh my God! What happened?!" She then rushed to grab a first aid kit from the wall and ran to the roadie throwing up. "How did you get sick?!"

"I... I think we may have gotten bootleg KFC," the roadie replied before he began to throw up into the trash can again. "I don't think it was chicken we ate."

The roadie leader said to himself, "Thank God I got my own food from an actual KFC."

* * *

  ** _October 26, 2020_**

As if things could not get worse so far in Mainland China, the band was about to do one of the most difficult concerts it had ever done so far. To wrap the tour up, it was to do 4 nights in Shanghai's Shanghai Stadium to 260,000 people, or 65,000 per night. On the first night, the crowd would be rowdy due to problems regarding corrupt security and drunkenness.

As the band got ready backstage, Honoka and Umi were talking about concerns they had about the concert. "Did you see what they were doing at the crowd entrance outside? They were confiscating cellphones and camera batteries."

"And?" Umi was confused as to why Honoka was so concerned about it. "They're just holding them until they get out, right?"

"No," Honoka replied as she shook her head. "They're wiping the data off the cellphones and reselling them and the camera batteries at the concessions stands for really high prices."

Umi's jaw dropped in shock before she replied, "They're doing WHAT?!"

Then, Kotori interjected into the conversation as all the color drained from her face as she read a text on her phone. "Sorry to interject, but I just got a text from our road crew leader. He said that the test results from the bootleg KFC indicate that the roadies ate rats and kittens."

Honoka could only look at her in complete shock for about half a minute before Umi told her, "Honoka-chan? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Honoka replied. "It's just... Rats and kittens... Why?"

"I know," Kotori replied as she sighed. "Well, hopefully this concert won't be as bad as the first night in Beijing."

Honoka nodded and then got everyone's attention by calling out, "Everyone! Gather around!" As the rest of the band gathered around her to listen, she said, "I want everyone to know that no matter what happens tonight, we will do our best for our fans. Since this is the first of the last 4 nights on our tour, I want all of us to give it our all for the next 4 days here in Shanghai. They expect a good show, and we are going to give them a great show. Now, let's go out there and do our thing!" The rest of the band cheered in response.

Maki then said to Honoka, "I hope they don't do some dumb shit like throw porn at us again." She then chuckled.

"Same here," Honoka replied as Kotori went onto the darkened stage to begin playing the overture for A Day At The Races from her computer/synthesizer setup.

* * *

After the song 4 MINUTES, Maki emerged from the shadows as usual and sat at the piano. As she did, she saw a shoe fly onto the stage. "Uh, okay. I was not expecting a shoe to fly onto here, but I'll roll with it. Anyways..." She then cleared her throat. "Since it's the first of the last 4 nights of the Shove It Tour, we are going to add a few special songs in, and the first one is a song we haven't done on stage ever. This is more of a pop-oriented song that our most recent work, and it in fact has a misspelled name. It is called Daring, but it's supposed to be Darling, like that Darling in the Franxx show from two years back." She then got up from her piano with her mic in hand. "Do you all wanna hear it?" She got approval from the crowd in the form of cheers. "Good, good! Alright, let's do it!"

Unlike on the studio version, the song began with a few bars of Hanayo on the drums before Kotori entered in on the synths and then the rest of the band on their instruments.

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Ima kara chousensha?)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Mayowazu go go!)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Hekotarenaide tsumannai!)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Mayowazu go go!)_

_Icchau kai? Ai nante hoshikunai to?_

_Icchatta! Nee sore wa tada no joudan!_

_Gouin ni goukai ni hiki yoserarete!  
_

_Demo demo mu da yo! Uso uso ureshii!  
_

_[All:] Chouten! [Maki:] Kiwamesasete!_

_Watashi no bigaku! Watashi no bibou!_

_[All:] Chouten! [Maki:] Nobori tsumete!_

_Te ga todokanai takane no flower!_

_I say, number 1! My love, only one!_

_([Audience:] Darling, baby!)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Ima kara chousensha?)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Mayowazu go go!)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Hekotarenaide tsumannai!)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Mayowazu go go!)_

_Tsumetai yakedo o oshiete ageru!_

_Don't worry, don't worry! Gutto atsui!_

_Kogarete honki no kotae ga shiritai!_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Mayowazu go go!)_

In between the first chorus and the second verse, the band inserted a short drum solo.

_Kiichau kai? Koibito wa konna taipu?_

_Kiichatte! Maa betsu ni nai yo jouken_

_Seikyuu na jounetsu de yusaburi kakete_

_Dokidoki hageshii akuma no miwaku_

_[All:] Honshin! [Maki:] Sarake dashite_

_Watashi ga sekai! Watashi ga okite!_

_[All:] Honshin! [Maki:] Misenasai yo_

_Kakugo o kimete shuchuu no bird!_

_You say "No.1," you're my only one!  
_

_Are you ready, are you ready? ([All but Maki:] Kinasai chousensha!)  
_

_Are you ready, are you ready?_ _([All but Maki:] Tamerai wa No no!!)  
_

_Are you ready, are you ready? ([All but Maki:] Akiramenaide tsumannai)  
_

_Are you ready, are you ready? ([All but Maki:] Tamerai wa No no!!)  
_

_Bara ni wa toge desho itakute amaku_

_Are you ready, are you ready? Chotto kowai!_

_Sasarete kokoro yo shibirete shimae_

_Are you ready, are you ready? ([All but Maki:] Tamerai wa No no!!)  
_

The band then inserted a synthesizer solo played by Kotori in between the second chorus and the third verse. As Maki moved across the stage, she saw several police officers rough up a concertgoer as they dragged him out and reacted with an annoyed look on her face.

_I say "No.1!" My love only one!_

Maki then said to the audience during a pause in the song, "Are you ready?!" The audience cheered back in response. "Okay, let's do it!"

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Ima kara chousensha?)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Mayowazu go go!)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Hekotarenaide tsumannai!)_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Mayowazu go go!)_

_Tsumetai yakedo o oshiete ageru!_

_Don't worry, don't worry! Gutto atsui!_

_Kogarete honki no kotae ga shiritai!_

_Don't worry, don't worry! ([All but Maki:] Mayowazu go go!)_

As the song ended and the crowd cheered loudly, Maki said, "Thank you! That was an old song, let me tell you... Now, we may have a few more surprises in store for you tonight, so don't worry."

* * *

Right after Death on Two Legs ended, Honoka said to the crowd as she looked around the stage, "I gotta say, I've never seen so many shoes in my life in one spot. Now, before we begin our next song, we're gonna do another special insert, even with all this crap going on. We've only done this one on stage three times before, and it is sung mainly by Hanayo-chan from the drums. This is a Roger Taylor composition called I'm In Love With My Car!" Honoka then ducked down to avoid a water bottle as the crowd cheered loudly. Even with all the stuff being thrown at them, it was clear that it was not because of the music.

Maki sat at the piano for the song, which began to a thunderous start.

_[Hanayo:] Yeaaaah..._

_[Hanayo:] The machine of a dream... Such a clean machine!_

_[Hanayo:] With the pistons a pumpin'! And the hubcaps all gleam!_

_[Hanayo:] When I'm holding your wheel! All I hear is your gear!_

_[Hanayo:] When my hand's on your grease gun! Mmmm, it's like a disease son!_

_[Hanayo/Maki:] I'm in love with my car! [Hanayo:] Gotta feel for my automobile!_

_[Hanayo/Maki:] Get a grip on my boy racer rollbar! [Hanayo:] Such a thrill when your radials squeal!_

_[Hanayo:] Told my girl I have to forget her! Rather buy me a new cartburettor!_

_[Hanayo:] So she made tracks sayin' this is the end now!_

_[Hanayo:] Cars don't talk back! They're just four wheeled friends now!_

_[Hanayo:] When I'm holding your wheel! All I hear is your gear!_

_[Hanayo:] When I'm cruisin' in overdrive! Don't have to listen to no run of the mill talk jive!_

_[Hanayo/Maki:] I'm in love with my car! [Hanayo:] Gotta feel for my automobile!_

_[Hanayo/Maki:] I'm in love with my car! [Hanayo:] String back gloves in my automolove!_

The band then closed the song out after several bars with car engine revving sound effects from Kotori as Maki played several notes on the piano. As Hanayo wiped her forehead of sweat, she laughed as the audience cheered just as another shoe flew over her head and into the gong. She shouted into her mic, "10 POINTS!"

* * *

After the end of the first concert, Nozomi made her way to a lesbian bar in Shanghai by herself. She had not had a good night during the concert, and she needed a drink. She came upon a small dingy bar that was hidden from the street and packed full of women. After going past the bouncer with the little Chinese she knew, she sat down at the bar and looked around as the music inside blared.

The bartender, a young woman with short hair dressed in a suit, said to her in Chinese, "Do you want anything?"

Nozomi replied back in Chinese, "Do you speak Japanese?"

"I do, in fact," replied the bartender in Japanese. "So, what would you like?"

"Get me about eight fingers of Midleton's whiskey," Nozomi replied as she stacked her fingers aside from her thumbs to show what she meant. "I know it's a lot, but I can afford it."

"I bet you can," she replied. "Since you are Toujou Nozomi, after all."

"You caught me red-handed, miss," she replied as the bartender, whom Nozomi began to look over, poured her her drink. "I had a rough fucking night at that first concert. Do you mind a musician ranting to you?"

"I'm sorta one myself," the bartender replied. "My band hasn't seen much success as of yet, though." She then passed on a small business card with the band she was referring to on it. "We may not perform on the same scale as you, but we probably are more similar than you think."

Nozomi then drank about a third of her whiskey. "Aaaaah... Well, first off, the concertgoers liked the music, but still threw shoes and shit at us, and then the fucking cops assigned there were a bunch of corrupt motherfuckers who stole cellphones and cameras from the people that came to see us only to resell them with their data wiped and at really high prices."

"That sounds like a bad night," the bartender replied as she grabbed money from another customer. As she punched it into a cash register, she said to the purple-haired guitarist, "Did you get hit by anything?"

"No," she replied as she drank more. "But my friend Eli-chan did. Ayase Eli, by the way. I was fucking pissed. I had to restrain myself from jumping off stage and beating up the asshole that threw that water bottle at her." She then finished her whiskey.

"Damn, you finished that whiskey pretty quick," the bartender replied. "That's like 650 Yuan."

Nozomi then took out her wallet and pulled out 1300 Yuan. "Give me another."

"Okay then," the bartender replied in surprise. "Are you sure you can handle another glass of Midleton's whiskey?"

"Hell yeah," Nozomi replied as the bartender poured her another drink. "When do you get off of work?"

"In a few minutes," the bartender replied. "My name is Liang Yazhu, by the way."

"I see," Nozomi replied with a smile before she drank more. "You got anything to do after this?"

"So, you're asking me out?" Yazhu was surprised the idol-turned-guitarist was being so forward with her.

"I'm asking you to probably go to my hotel room and fuck," Nozomi replied rather bluntly. "If you say no, I'll respect that."

"I gotta say," Yazhu replied. "You're pretty forward."

Nozomi then finished her drink. "Yeah, that's enough alcohol for me tonight."

Suddenly, they heard police sirens approach the bar. Yazhu looked to another bartender and said to her in Chinese, "Are they stopping here?"

Nozomi asked Yazhu, "Should we flee?" By now, she was clearly intoxicated.

Yazhu then suddenly jumped over the bar and grabbed Nozomi by the arm as they both began to run to the back. Yazhu told her, "Let's get out of here!" They then entered a back room with a small window to climb out of. Yazhu locked the door and then ran to the window to open it as the police sirens stopped at the bar.

Nozomi then said to her, "Fuck, are they really raiding us?"

"Yeah," Yazhu replied as she got the window open. "Climb on this box I'm standing on." She then jumped through the window and did a somersault onto the back alleyway. Nozomi quickly joined her as she climbed through the window and fell to the ground due to her intoxication.

"Agh, fuck, that hurt," Nozomi replied as she stumbled to her feet. Yazhu then started up her bike and handed Nozomi a helmet as the two hopped on. "I'll tell you where to go from here to get to my hotel." She then yawned and burped.

"Got it," Yazhu replied. "Let's get the hell out of here before the cops get us." The two then sped off away into the night as the police raided the bar they had just fled and began to shut it down.

About 45 minutes later, the two stumbled into Nozomi's hotel room, with Yazhu drinking from a bottle of tequila as Nozomi fell onto the bed. "Hey, why don't you put the bottle down and come on over here?"

"I was gonna suggest that myself," Yazhu replied as she put her bottle down before taking her suit off. "I never thought I'd get to do this with a famous musician, but hey, I might as well take the opportunity."

"Exactly," Nozomi replied as she laughed. She then took her shirt off, revealing a lacy red bra underneath. "Let's get down to it."


	22. The Cracks

_**January 2, 2021** _

After a series of rehearsals in preparation for Queen+Adam Lambert's 2021 Tour of North America, which Riko and Maki were both in due to providing vocals for two new Adam Lambert and two new Q+AL songs, the couple talked. "I see you guys made a lot of progress on your next album." Riko then took a sip of coffee.

"Yeah," Maki replied to her. "We challenged ourselves this time. We made a pact to try to write the most challenging songs we could think of. So far, Nico-chan made one that switches time signatures more times than Classical Gas, and Rin-chan decided to write a song made for those ie taiga chants at idol concerts since a lot of Chinese fans did that during our songs. How about Aqours' next album?"

"We've only recorded two songs for it so far," Riko replied. "They completely put off recordings songs while we're on the tour here, so we'll probably wrap recording up in June. All we know is that we'll definitely be able to do a standalone tour of North America now." She then smiled. "I think the radio hosts and all them are right about that Asian Invasion they keep talking about."

* * *

_**February 2, 2020** _

"I don't know why we keep getting these calls to play those songs," said a radio host to an executive during a meeting at a Top 40 Radio Station near Boston. "They all wanna hear some Japanese bands that we don't have the songs for."

"It's concerning," the executive replied as he looked up information about µ's and Aqours on his phone. "What have you guys done on the air about it?"

"I tell them that we don't have the songs on file," the host replied. "But some other hosts will look up the songs on YouTube and play them from their laptops. I've tried saying no, but it's not getting through."

"I must say," the executive replied to him. "We probably should have both of them on file. Their songs are climbing the charts, and they want to tour in North America soon. My only concern is that their songs may be jarring in terms of the listening transition from most of what's in the Top 40 now." He then showed the radio host Death on Two Legs. "This µ's band covered a Queen song, and that cover is rising fast. How are we supposed to try to bridge the gap between modern music and a cover of a song that came out when I was born? Does our listener base even know what Queen is?"

"I'd say they do," the radio host replied as they shrugged. "That biopic of their lead singer did very well back in 2018, but this song they did is practically unknown. I don't even know what it is."

"Yeah," the executive replied. "And that's not getting into their non-English songs. We already have Spanish and Korean songs making their way onto the airwaves here. Throwing in yet another foreign language in the form of Japanese may confuse our listener base."

"Well," the radio host then said to the executive as he got up. "I think we might just have to deal with it. Either we adapt and start actually playing their songs, or we'll become irrelevant. It's what the listener base apparently wants."

* * *

_**January 9, 2022** _

After finishing the third concert on the tour, which took place in Madison Square Garden in New York City and was to be one of two sold-out concerts there, Brian, John, and Roger relaxed backstage. As the two chatted, Brian brought up the couple who had joined them and Adam for the tour. "I've begun to notice some odd stuff going on between Riko and Maki, Rog."

The white-haired drummer said to him back, "What would that be?"

John asked Brian as well, "You noticed it, too?"

"They haven't been talking together as much as they used to," Brian replied as they both then saw Maki walk into the room alone. "Oh, hey, Maki."

"Hi," the redhead replied in English. Her talking accent was growing thinner by the day, and she had absolutely no accent while singing. "How do you think tonight went?"

"Very well," Roger replied. "You rocked it on stage with your girlfriend and Adam. Really knocked it out of the park."

"I love hearing that," Maki replied. "Anyways, speaking of her, we had a bit of an argument, so we're kinda split for now. It was over some petty stuff anyway."

"Have you noticed you've been arguing with her more?" Brian was concerned for the young idol/fan-turned-rock star.

"I guess," Maki replied as she shrugged. "Probably just the stress from the touring and the fact that both µ's and Aqours are being pressured to make a worthy follow-up to our last respective albums."

"Trust me," John, who had been quiet most of the time and had only listened. "We've all been there before. You should have seen the arguments we had between Opera and Races."

Brian and Roger both burst out laughing. "Oh yeah," Brian replied to her. "You've probably heard that short clip of me and Freddie going at it during the News of The World sessions back in '77 on YouTube before involving some thing about rehearsing a guitar solo or whatever. Trust me, that happened, well, not a lot, but quite a bit, during the Races and News sessions due to the pressure on us to follow A Night At The Opera up."

"I can only imagine," Maki replied. "Me and Nico had a similar argument about that during the rehearsal for the Shove It Tour. I think it was about BokuIma."

* * *

_**February 27, 2021** _

"Nico-chan," Maki, annoyed at the guitarist, said to her on stage at the Beacon Theater. "You need to take it down a notch."

"I'm playing what I always play," Nico, equally annoyed at Maki, replied to her as she held her guitar. "I'm playing exactly what's on the record, Maki-chan."

"Oh, sure," Maki replied in a sarcastic tone. "I guess playing it too fast is exactly what's on the record."

Nozomi, who chuckled, said to both of them, "Maybe Nicocchi does need to slow it down a bit."

"I'm not gonna fucking slow it down," Nico herself replied as she shrugged. She then played a few notes out of slight frustration. "Whatever."

"After all," Maki pointed out to her. "You do expect us to be perfect, am I right?"

"Oh, don't be so fucking ridiculous," Nico replied to the pianist.

* * *

_**January 26, 2021** _

At a recording studio in Shizuoka, Aqours (minus Riko of course) had just finished wrapping up an instrumental recording session for their own upcoming album, which they decided to title "Breakout." In place of Riko, Chika filled in on the piano for the day.

Mari talked to Kanan mostly throughout the day. "Have you noticed that Riko-chan has been kinda distant to us when she calls us and stuff?"

"As a matter of fact," Kanan replied as she re-tied her hair. "I have. She was a bit short with us when she called a couple days ago, especially when I asked her about Maki-san."

"What did she say?"

"She kinda just shut me up about it and said everything was fine," Kanan replied as she shrugged. "It's weird. It isn't like her at all."

Mari then thought about what could be wrong. "Could it be they're having relationship trouble?"

"I hope not," Kanan replied almost immediately. "I don't want their issues coming between us and the rest of µ's. Chika-chan would be devastated. I would be devastated. All of us would. I love spending time with our senpai group, and I know you do, too."

"That I do," Mari replied as she sighed and yawned.

* * *

  _ **April 7, 2021**_

"God fucking damn it!" The sound of a clothes iron flying into a mirror and shattering it emanated through a Tokyo house late at night. "It's all over! All of it!"

Maki stood over the broken iron and the mirror shards and wiped away tears from her eyes. She had come home after Riko had broken up with her at a park in the city. She was stoic for most of the drive home, buy upon entering her room and closing the door, she absolutely lost it.

"How could she?! We had our problems, but we could have worked them out! It’s as if I wasted two fucking years of my life!”

She then fell to her bed and began to cry as the full force of the breakup hit her. As she did, she curled up into a ball as her tears soaked the sheets. Her heart truly had been smashed to pieces.

”Fuck my life,” Maki said as she got herself up and wiped away the tears. “Fuck it all.” She then grabbed her cellphone and wallet before storming into the bathroom in her bedroom and slamming the door shut. “I’m going the hell out and showing her that I can have fun without her, and with a man to boot.” She then began to apply makeup to her face as she held back the tears to ensure it didn’t run down her face. After she was done, she calmly walked out of the bathroom and walked to her dresser before opening a drawer. “I finally get to use one of these.”

The redhead pulled out a row of 5 condoms from the drawer and then looked over several sex toys inside. She then closed the drawer and walked out of her room to go to a nightclub down the street.

”Look out world,” Maki said to herself. “Nishikino Maki is available, and I’m hungry.”

* * *

The next day, on the 8th, Nico stopped by Maki’s house in her car. She was concerned since the rest of the band as well as the rest of Aqours had heard of the breakup not through Maki or through Riko, but by Chika, who in turn heard about the breakup from Riko’s parents, who often acted as Maki’s surrogate parents since her real parents did not accept her for her bisexuality.

She parked in her driveway and walked up to the front door. Nico used a key she had to unlock it and go inside. When she stepped in, she called out, “Maki! Maki!” The downstairs was fine, and when she went upstairs, she noticed nothing out the ordinary until she saw Maki’s clothes strewn about before the closed door to her bedroom, as well as a pile of unknown clothes. “Huh?”

Nico knocked on her bedroom door, which was followed by a rustling sound on the other side as she heard a male voice say, “Huh? Who’s that?”

Maki was then heard saying, “That’s my best friend, Nico-chan. Truth is, she’s more like a sister to me.”

Nico then called out, “Maki-chan? Hello?”

”Just a minute!” Maki then opened the door, fully naked and not bothering to cover anything. “Hey!”

Nico, confused, looked over her shoulder and saw the man she had taken home from the club the night before gathering his stuff. “Uhhh, who’s that?”

”A guy I met at a club last night,” the tired redhead replied. “We had a lot of fun, right?” She then turned to the guy.

The guy replied, “Yeah, we did! Nico, right? Well, your friend here knows a thing or two about a thing or two. Well, I gotta get going.” He then walked out of the room.

”Bye,” Maki replied as she gave him a slightly seductive smile. “If you ever wanna do that again, you know what to do.” She then turned to Nico. “Come on in.”

As Nico sat on her bed and Maki dressed herself, the twin-tailed girl asked her, “Maki-chan, what happened? We know about Riko-chan and you.”

”Yeah, I figured that.” Maki then sighed. “Listen, she smashed my heart to pieces, and I had to cope, so I did by fucking a guy. Hey, I’ve never had sex with anyone but girls, well, one girl specifically, so I guess it was time for something different.”

”Don’t you think it could be dangerous?”

”He wore a condom,” the redhead immediately replied. “Several, in fact. We went for 5 rounds, 1 more than my record with Riko-chan.”

Nico, both amazed and bewildered, replied, “Woah, okay, uh, I think I get the picture, Maki-chan. Anyways, we should probably get going. We’re still stuck on what the 12th song in Spread Your Wings should be.”

”Ah,” Maki replied. “I actually was thinking about that last night. Well, I was thinking about it when I wasn’t having sex. Since we got all of our original song ideas already done, how about another Queen cover?”

”Yeah,” Nico replied as she got up. “We were thinking that. What song do you have in mind?”

* * *

“Okay,” said Eli as she began recording in the studio about two hours later. “Are you are you wanna do this song? Given recent events, it may not be a good idea.”

”Fuck it,” Maki told her through the microphone. “You got that backing track I edited laid out?”

”That I do,” Eli replied as she pressed play. “Going live in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.”

_I DOOON’T WAAANT MY FREEDOOOM!_

_There’s no reaaason for liiiving, with a broken heart_

Maki then took a short pause.

_This is a tricky situation, I’ve only got myself to blame_

_Iiiit’s just a simple fact of life, it can happen to anyoooone_

_You win! You lose!_

_It’s a chance you have to take with love_

_Ooh yeah! I fell in love, but now you say it’s over, and I’m falling apart_

_Yeah, yeah, it’s a haaaaard life!_

_To be true lovers together, to love and live forever in each other’s hearts_

_It's a long hard fight!_

_To learn to care for each other, to trust in one another right from the start_

_When you're in love..._

_I try to mend the broken pieces, I try to fight back the tears_

_Theeeey say it's just a state of mind, but it happens to everyoooone_

_How it hurts, deep inside!_

_When your love has cut you down to size_

_This life is tough, on your own!_

_Now I'm waiting for something to fall from the skies, I'm waiting for loooooooooove!_

_It's a hard life! Two lovers together_

_To love and liiiiiive forever in each other's hearts_

_It's a long hard fight!_

_To learn to care for each other, to trust in one another riiiight froooom the staaaaaart_

_When you're in love..._

Maki then took a pause as the guitar solo of the song played in her headphones. As she did, she yawned and looked around. Then, when the solo ended, she started back up again.

_YEAH, YEAH! It's a haaaaard life!_

_In a world that's filled with sorrow, there are people seaaaaaarching for love in every way!_

_It's a LONG HAAAAARD FIGHT!_

_But I'll always live for tomorrow! I'll look back on myself and saaay I did it for loooove..._

_Yes I did it for loooove... For loooove_

_Ohhhh, ohhhh, ohhhhhh, I did it for LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!_

She then sighed as the rest of the band looked on in awe. Eli said in shock, "Uhhh... Maki-chan, I think you just nailed the lead vocal in one take."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Maki replied as she stretched and took her headphones off. "It still hurts, but that song helps." She then sat down at the piano the band used in the recording studio. "I can do the piano, too, right now."

* * *

**_April 11, 2018_ **

In the auditorium of Otonokizaka High School, an auction was being held to sell surplus equipment in the evening. About 100 people packed into the auditorium to be part of the auction, including Honoka, who had only one thing on her mind that was for sale.

Several items in, several students from the Student Council began to wheel out the old Kawai KG Series grand piano that had been in use by the school since 1982. They had recently bought a new one, and were looking to auction off the old one that Maki had used considerably in her time at the school. Honoka and the rest of the band wanted to surprise the redhead for her 21st birthday in the next 8 days. Then, the auctioneer announced, "We now have a 1982 Kawai KG series grand piano, complete with a bench. It has seen a lot of use, but it was well-maintained and tuned frequently until it was replaced in January of this year. The starting minimum bid is ¥250,000."

One person in the crowd raised their hand and shouted, "¥280,000!"

"¥280,000! Going once, go-"

"¥300,000!"

"¥300,000! Going o-"

"¥310,000!"

"¥310,000! Going once, going tw-"

Then, Honoka shouted out as she raised her hand, "¥500,000!" Immediately, everyone turned to her, some in shock that she was paying such a high price for the piano. AS many in the crowd began to recognize her, she said, "Uhhh... Yeah, ¥500,000!" The brunette thought to herself,  _"PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEEEEASE BE OUR'S!"_

"¥500,000! Going once, going twice... And sold to Otonokizaka Alumni Kousaka Honoka for the price of ¥500,000!" The auctioneer then banged a gavel to signify that the auction for the piano was over.

Honoka jumped up out of her seat and ran to the back doors. Once she was past them and out in the hallway, she jumped up with her hands in the air and shouted with excitement, "Yes! We did it! Awesomesauce!" She then laughed as she calmed down.


	23. You Go Crazy

_**May 25, 2021** _

Rin relaxed as she breastfed her now 2-month old son Kyousuke and quietly hummed to him during a break in rehearsals in Tokyo, the last before they flew to America to kick off their Spread Your Wings Tour. As she did, she suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and grabbed it with her free hand. "Huh?" It was a text from a representative from the band's North and South American record label, Hollywood Records. The text simply read 'congratulations mrs matoi! you go crazy just hit #1 on the billboard hot 100 in the usa! i sent the rest of the band texts as well'. Rin immediately dropped her phone in absolute shock. "No way!"

Maki ran over to her and said, "You got the same text from Robertson-san, right?!"

"Yeah," Rin replied as she collected her thoughts and looked down at her son. She then turned to her husband. "Honey, come over here!"

"What's up?" Takao was still getting used to fatherhood, but was doing well so far, and he initially thought something had happened to the baby. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Rin assured him. "You Go Crazy just hit #1 on the American charts! The song I wrote and sang made it! We made it!"

As the rest of the band gathered around them, Honoka jumped in the air, shouting, "Awesome! We made it!"

Even Kyousuke himself seemed happy, though he obviously had no clue what was going on. He tried to reach over to Hanayo with his right hand, laughing and smiling. Hanayo simply said to him, "Awww... Are you trying to get me over to you?"

Rin said to her best friend, "He really loves you, Kayo-chin. You could be his aunt of sorts, since neither me nor Takao have any siblings." She then handed him off to her.

Hanayo blushed and held Kyousuke in her arms as Rin covered herself back up. "Hello! I guess I'm your aunt now." She then chuckled. "You're so cuuuute." Compared to other babies, Kyousuke did not cry when exposed to loud music, often laughing or smiling instead.

* * *

By now, the soon-to-be-released album was generating a lot of buzz. You Go Crazy and a cover of Queen's Spread Your Wings were both released as singles on May 6. On the same day, the music videos for both songs also premiered on YouTube and NicoNico. For Spread Your Wings, a simplistic video containing a rehearsal of the song by the band shot on April 29 was made. Even with the simple concept, the video received over 200 million views by May 25 and was sitting at #5 on the US charts at the time. It had been at #1 in Japan for a week before You Go Crazy surpassed it. As for You Go Crazy, a song written by Rin, it contained video of a rehearsal of the song on the same day, shots of the band's concerts in China since Rin had written the song with the idea of audiences doing "ie taiga," which had been a problem in Mainland China in 2020 since none of their songs at the time were meant for the chant that was often seen as annoying, and shots of Rin dancing with her husband on stage since the song was about a woman who was "crazy in love." That video exploded in popularity, and by May 25, had garnered over 600 million views.

The next song to be released as a single would be The One I Left, written by Nico as part of a dare to see who could come up with the most complicated song. The song changed time signatures many times, and had very unconventional ones akin to Classical Gas. It would be released on June 1, the day the tour began. The music video for that song had already been shot. Instead of featuring the band, it featured Mari and a Japanese actor named Norio Chitose who acted out the parts of the heartbroken lovers in the video on a beach near Numazu, shot between May 12 and May 13. It would be followed by the releases of It's a Hard Life on June 18, and then We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions on July 4.

* * *

 

_**May 29, 2021** _

The band had just wrapped up a series of rehearsals at a sound stage in New York City, having flown over on the 27th. This would be their final rehearsal of 12. By now, the whole band had nailed what the show would be.

At a hotel bar, the band talked among themselves about the day's events, which included an hour-long press conference before 7 hours of rehearsals. "I think it's safe to say Nicocchi won the bet," Nozomi said  to the gang, referring to the bet to write the most complicated song. "That song is a bitch to do."

Honoka replied to Nozomi, "I agree. Who here thinks Nico-chan won the bet?" Everybody, including Nico, raised their glasses to indicate they agreed. "Exactly." The whole band then burst into laughter.

Eli, who sat next to Nico, chuckled and said, "Promise me you won't try to replicate Classical Gas again, please?"

"I won't," Nico replied back jokingly. "I won't. If you thought performing it was hard, try writing it." She then passed Nozomi her drink from the bartender. "This tour will make us. I can already tell."

* * *

 

_**June 1, 2021** _

The tour was to kick off today with a concert in New York City. For this tour, instead of smaller theatres, the band did sports stadiums in North America to reflect their massive increase in popularity. Indeed, the first two concerts, both located at the world-famous Yankee Stadium, sold out their 100,000+ total tickets in a matter of days.

Around 6 P.M., the stage lights turned on, and a massive ceiling of rows of red and white lights rose from the bottom of the stage to the top of the scaffolding. The heat coming off the lights was so intense that it earned the nickname "The Pizza Oven." Behind them was a rectangular video screen that would display a live video of the concert. As the jam-packed crowd of 50,000+ eagerly awaited the entrance of the band, they clapped in rhythm and chanted "WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU" repeatedly. From the very end of the nosebleed seats right up to the standing room area on the actual baseball field, the crowd was pumped. By now, the band attracted 3 main groups of regular fans: Fans of Japanese culture/music, classic rock/Queen fans, and "casual" pop/rock fans, and all 3 were eating up everything they released.

Then, after the lights rose fully, the silence on stage was interrupted by the sound of the "stomp-stomp-clap" from We Will Rock You played back from tape. Immediately, the crowd cheered loudly and began stomping and clapping in almost perfect rhythm for several bars. After such, the chorus of the song played from tape, backed up by Honoka singing along. The song had been pitched up slightly.

_[Honoka/Queen:] We will, we will, rock you! We will, we will, rock you!_

A single spotlight then shined on Honoka, who was wearing her After School Activity uniform and standing on the right of the stage.

_[Honoka:] Buddy, you’re a boy, make a big noise, playing in the street, gonna be a big MAN someday!_

_[Honoka:] You got mud on your face, you big disgrace! Kicking your can all over the place, singin’_

_[Honoka/Queen:] We will, we will, rock you! (Honoka: Sing it!)_

_[Honoka/Queen:] We will, we will, rock you! (Honoka: Everybody!)_

_[Honoka/Queen:] We will, we will, rock you! (Honoka: Ohhhh!)_

_[Honoka/Queen:] We will, we will, rock you! (Honoka: Alright!)_

Then, Honoka pointed to the other side of the stage as her spotlight dimmed and another shone on Nozomi, who was wearing her No Brand Girls outfit but with an opened and loose-fitting New York Yankees button-up shirt over the top. As she played the solo of the song, she got cheers and whistles for her support of the baseball team. Once the solo ended, Nozomi bowed, the spotlight disappeared, and a loud boom was heard over the speakers before the stage was filled with dry ice from several dry ice machines. The latter half of the A Day At The Races Overture from the intro of Tie Your Mother Down began playing as the stage filled with more dry ice. As the tension built up and the entire lighting rig turned on, the crowd waited in anticipation for the next half of the introduction song.

Just as the ADATR Overture ended, Nozomi began playing the intro to No Brand Girls before the rest of the band joined in.

_[ALL:] Oh yeah!_

_[ALL:] Oh yeah!_

_[ALL:] Oh yeah!_

_[ALL:] Isshin icchou!_

Then, the rest of the band joined in. Rin and Maki stood beside Honoka, who was the lead in this song, as Nico and Umi joined in on the guitar. While the song was already pretty heavy, the band had managed to turn up the intensity of the song for this tour.

_[Honoka:] Hora makenai yo ne?_

_[Maki:] Kuyashii na mada no brand_

_[Kotori:] Shiraretenai yo no brand_

_[Nico:] Nanimo kamo kore kara, atsui kibun_

_[Nozomi:] Tanoshii yo demo no brand ([All but Nozomi:] Do you know?)_

_[Umi:] Harikitterun da no brand ([All but Umi:] Do you know?)_

 

 

_[Rin:] Dakara koko de deau tame ni! (All but Rin:] Yes I know!)_

_[Hanayo:] Mezasu basho wa! ([Honoka:] Takai)_

_[Eli:] Ima yori takaku ([Hanayo:] Doko made?)_

_[Honoka:] Chansu no maegami wo_

_([Eli:] Motte) [Honoka:] Hanasanai kara_

_([Hanayo:] Motte) [Honoka:] Hanasanai kara_

_[Honoka:] Kiseki no niji wo [Everyone:] Watarunda_

 

 

_[Everyone]: Kabe wa! Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Kowaseru mono sa! Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Everyone:]  Jibun kara motto chikara wo dashite yo_

_[Everyone:] Hai! Hai! Hai! Kowaseru mono sa! Hai! Hai! Hai! Taoseru mono sa_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki de mirai wo misete_

_[Everyone:]  Un makenai kara!_

 

 

The second verse of the song started with Nozomi before moving onto Umi and Rin. The updated lighting rig was proving very effective, flooding the stage with bright red, white, and blue lights.

_[Nozomi:] Kizutsukeaccha no good_

_[Umi:] Nakatagai wa no good_

_[Rin:] Daisuki no gokai wa Tsurai kibun_

_[Hanayo:] Kurushii mune wa no good ([All but Hanayo:] Hurry up!)_

_[Eli:] Akirametara No good ([All but Eli:] Hurry up!)_

_[Honoka:] Sou sa nareba kanau omoi_

_[Kotori:] Negau basho wa ([Nico:] Tooi!)_

_[Maki:] Madamada tooku ([Kotori:] Dono kana?)_

_[Nico:] Janpu de chikaku nare_

_([Maki:] Kyou no) [Nico:] Senobi no kimi to_

_([Kotori:] Gutto) [Nico:] Senobi no boku de_

_[Nico:] Ano hi no chikai [Everyone:] Sagasunda_

They then jumped into the second chorus, handing off parts of it to the audience.

 

 

_[Everyone]: Yami wo [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Fukitobasou yo [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Oiharaou yo_

_[Everyone:]  Jibun kara ima wo kaereba ii no sa_

_[Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Fukitobasou yo [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Oiharaou yo_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki de mirai wo misete_

_[Everyone:] Sou da yo kakugo wa dekita!_

During Nico's guitar solo, all the lights changed to pink, her trademark color, as she took to the center of the stage. Her solo was met with loud applause by the audience. Midway through it, she looked down at one of the cameras the band had filming them and peered over to look as she saw a security guard attend to a dehydrated concertgoer. Once her solo ended and Umi took over for her's, she grabbed a bottle of water near the end of the stage that was among several that she, Nozomi, and Umi had put there for themselves to have in between solo spots when the three of them had their 'dueling solos' and took off her guitar. As she jumped down to the ground, she said to the security guard, "Hey, here's more water."

"Huh?" The security guard was surprised to see her. "How did-?"

"I saw it happen," Nico explained. She then looked over at the guest and smiled. "Hey! Are you alright?"

"Nico..." The guest was tired out from dehydration. "Thanks..." He gladly accepted the water from her.

The twin-tailed guitarist then noticed that he had a notepad with him. "Hey, before I jump back, wanna get an autograph?" She quickly took a pen out as the guest nodded. "No problem." As she signed the notepad with her signature in both English and Japanese, she kept listening to the song to see how they were doing without her. Umi had decided to further lengthen out the solo to give her time.

"Nico-chan!" Nico turned around to see Kotori above her on stage, calling to her in Japanese. "Are you alright? What happened?!"

"One of the concertgoers had dehydration and collapsed near me," Nico explained to her. "I gave him my water and an autograph. I'll be back up soon. Tell Umi-chan she's doing great!" She then turned back to the security guard and the concertgoer and said in English, "I gotta get going. Get well soon, by the way."

The concertgoer smiled and replied, "Thank you so much, Nico! You're the best!" The last remark made her smile as she climbed back onstage, grabbed her Frankenstrat Copy guitar and let out a few more riffs to help out Umi, causing a wave of cheers as she let up the sign of the horns and returned to her normal spot just as the solos finally ended.

 

_[Honoka]: Kabe wa [Everyone:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Honoka:] Kowaseru mono sa [Everyone:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Honoka:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Honoka:]  Jibun kara motto chikara wo dashite yo_

_[Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Kowaseru mono sa [Audience:] Hai! Hai! Hai! [Everyone:] Taoseru mono sa_

_[Everyone:] Yuuki de mirai wo misete_

_[Everyone:] Sou da yo kakugo wa dekita_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah! Zenshin zenrei!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeah!_

_[Everyone:] Oh yeaaaah!_

As the song closed out, Honoka shouted through her mic, "ONE MORE!" Then, Nozomi began playing the riff of Tie Your Mother Down, which excited the crowd. As the song began, Maki took to the center and shouted, "Ooooooh yeah! Ooh yeah!"

_Get your party gown! Get your pigtail down! Get your heart beatin' ,baby!_

_I got my timing right! I got my act all tight! It's gonna be tonight, my little schoolbabe!_

_Your mama says you don't, and your daddy says you won't, and I'm burning up inside!_

_Ain't no way I'm gonna lose out this time! Oh no!_

Then, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Lock your daddy outta doors! I don't need him nosing around!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

As the song went on, the crowd clapped along in almost perfect unison.

_"You're such a dirty louse! Go get outta my house!"_

_That's all I ever get from your... Aaaagh!_

_Family ties! In fact I don't think I ever heard a single little civil word from those guys!  
_

_But you know I don't give a light! I'm gonna make out_   _alright!_ _  
_

_I've got a sweetheart hand to put a stop to all that grousin' an' snipin'!_

Once again, all 9 members of the band joined in for the chorus.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Take your little brother swimming with a brick! That's alright!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Or you)_

_Ain't! No! Friend! Of! Mine! (Maki: Ain't no friend of mine!)_

As Umi did her solo, bathed in dark blue lighting, Maki ad-libbed some words in. "Yeah! Yeah, yeah! Ohhhhhhh woah! No, no!" The larger stage than before gave her even more opportunities to move around and dance.

_Your momma and your daddy gonna pl_   _ague me 'til I die!_

_I can't understand it! I'm just a peace lovin' guy! Ooooooh!_

For the final chorus, the whole band joined in again.

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Get your big, big, big, big daddy outta doors!)_

_Tie your mother down! Tie your mother down! (Maki: Give me)_

_All! Your! Love! Tonight!_

_(Maki: All your love tonight!)_

Umi, Nozomi, and Nico then continued playing their guitars as Maki danced around on stage and said, "Awwwwww yeah!" Then, the guitars ceased as Hanayo did a drum fill before closing out the song with the guitars. Finally, a final clash of cymbals signalled the end of the rocker as the stage went dark again.

Maki bowed and said, "Thank you and good evening everybody! It' feels so nice yo be back in New York once more, and what better place than in Yankee Stadium?!" As the crowd cheered, she could hear some actually chant "Let's go Yankees!" "I can hear you guys chanting that! You know, over in our hometown of Tokyo, more or less all of us are fans of the Yomiuri Giants. Many have called them the Yankees of Japanese baseball since they've won 36 Central League pennants and 22 Japan Series championships. Not bad, eh? Anyways, we wouldn't wanna leave this next one out for the world. This is called Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE!"

Umi began playing on the guitar again, this time playing the intro to their next song. After Nico and Nozomi joined in, the song picked up and the whole band began singing.

_[All:] Tashika na ima yori mo, atarashii yume tsukamaetai!_

_[All:] Daitan ni tobidaseba! O.K. my life!_

_[All:] Nozomi wa ookiku ne, se nobi datteba takaku tooku!_

_[All:] Mabushii ashita dakishime ni yukou!_

_[All:] Zenbu kanaeyou!_

_[Eli/Kotori:] Sou da yo shinjiru dake de!_

_[Honoka:] Gungun mae ni susumu yo!_

_[All:] Kimi ga!_

Then, the chorus began.

_Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!_

_[All:] Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!_

_[Honoka]: Nando demo akiramezu ni! Sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_[All:] Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!_

_[All:] Atsui mama de habataiteku!_

_[All:] Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_

_[All:] Yuzuranai hitomi ga... daisuki!_

_[Honoka]: Daisuki!_

Then, the song moved into the second verse.

_[All:] Naite mo sora no iro kawaranai shi aoi mama de!_

_[All:] Ima sugu ni, aitai ne! O.K. Sunshine!_

_[All:] Narande kanjitai rikutsu ja naku soba ni itara!_

_[All:] Kimochi ga gutto chikadzuku imi ga sugu ni tsutawaru yo!_

_(Eli/Kotori): Sou da ne dare mo ga hitotsu!_

_(Honoka): Motteru yuuki no kakera wa!_

_[All:] Kimi to! Issho datteba zutto ne!_

_[All:]_   _Omoitsuki de ii kara oikakete!_

_[All:]  Kokoro odoru basho wo sagasou!_

_(Eli): Tsumazuite okiagatte! (Kotori): Mitsumeaeru ureshii bouken!_

_[All:]  Egao wa doko made todoku kana!_

_[All:]  Yakusoku to ka iranai kedo!_

_[All:]  Itsu made mo kimi to itai!  
_

_[All:]  Kakenukete issho ni... Kirakira! Kirakira!_

As always, Maki got up from the piano and began to do call-and-response with the audience alongside Rin.

_(Maki): Kirakira! (Audience: Kirakira!)_

_[All:] Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai!_

_(Rin): Daisuki! (Audience: Daisuki!)_

_[All:] Hai! Hai! Hai! Hai!_

_[Maki:] Yeah! ([Audience:] Yeah!) [Maki:] Yeeah! ([Audience:] Yeeah!) [Maki:] Yeeeah! ([Audience:] Yeeeah!)_

_[Rin:] Okay, okay! ([Audience: Okay, okay!]) [Rin:] Alright, alright! ([Audience:] Alright, alright!)_

_[Maki:] Ohhhhhhhhhhhh yeah, yeah! ([Audience: Ohhhhhhhhhhhh yeah, yeah!)_

_[Rin:] Eh doh deh dah deh! ([Audience:] Eh doh deh dah deh!) [Rin:] Eh doh deh dah deh! ([Audience:] Eh doh deh dah deh!)_

_[Maki:] Deeh deeeh-oh, woah! ([Audience:] Deeh deeeh-oh, woah!) Ehdohdehdohdehdohdehdohdehdoh! ([Audience: Ehdohdehdohdehdohdehdohdehdoh!)_

_[Maki:] Ooooooooh yeah! ([Audience: Ooooooooh yeah!)_

_[Rin:] Alright, let's go!_

Nozomi's guitar solo was accompanied by bright violet lighting from the lighting rig. This would now be a common theme for when solos occurred.

_(Honoka): Ohhhhh! Let's go!_

_[All:] Kotaenaku de ii n da wakaru kara!_

_[All:] Mune ni egaku basho wa onaji!_

_[All:] Nando demo akiramezu ni sagasu koto ga bokura no chousen!_

_[All:] Genki no ondo wa sagaranai!  
_

_[All:] Atsui mama de habataiteku!  
_

_[All:] Akogare wo kataru kimi no!_  

_[All:] Yuzuranai hitomi ga... Daisuki! Daisuki!_

Once the song closed out, the whole audience cheered loudly. This time, Rin addressed the audience. "Hello, New York!" She then bowed. "Thank you! It feels great to be back here in the first city to give us a big welcome in the West! I'm amazed at the success all of us have achieved since Shove It dropped early last year. As of last week, thanks to all of you, we became the first Japanese group or artist to have a #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1963!" The response was a wave of cheers in celebration. "Speaking of that song, why don't we get along with this show and get to it right away? This is called You! Go! CRAZY!" Hanayo began by playing a fast-paced drum beat before Rin entered in.

_[Rin:] Hey! Hey! Hey!_

_[Rin:] (Japanese) You always say that when we meet, you can’t let go of me!_

_[Rin:] (Japanese) You never slow down whenever it’s me you see!_

_ [Everyone:] You! Go! Crazy! _

_ [Rin:] You go crazy when it’s time to have fun! _

_ [Rin:] You go crazy when I come undone! _

_ [Rin:] And when you go mad, I go insane! _

The first verse was followed by a short guitar interlude by Nozomi.

_[Rin:] Hey! Hey! Hey!_

_[Rin:] (Japanese) It’s too late to stop now, oh it’s far too late, honey!_

_[Rin:] (Japanese) You call me up and tell me that I’m too much for you!_

_[Everyone:] I! Want! You!_

_ [Rin:] (Japanese)  I thought you were the craziest, but I guess I was wrong! _

_[Rin:] (Japanese) Hey, keep your chin up, ‘cause we’re far from done!_

Once the second verse closed out, all other instruments ceased as Hanayo began a minute-long drum solo. For the duration of it, all the lights in the lighting rig turned a light green. For the entire solo, she played at a rapid pace. Then, to signal the end of the solo, Umi reentered on the guitar for a few bars.

_ [Everyone:] You! Go! Crazy! _

_ [Rin:] You go crazy when it’s time to have fun! _

_ [Rin:] You go crazy when I come undone! _

_ [Rin:] And when you go mad, I go insane! _

_[Everyone:] (Japanese) You go crazy, and I just want it all!_

_ [Everyone:] (Japanese) You go crazy, and I can’t wait at all!  
_

_ [Everyone:] (Japanese) You go crazy, and I can’t help but see!  
_

_ [Everyone:] (Japanese) You go crazy, when you’re with me! _

_[Everyone:] I! Want! You!_

_ [Rin:] (Japanese)  I thought you were the craziest, but I guess I was wrong! _

_[Rin:] (Japanese) Hey, keep your chin up, ‘cause we’re far from done!_

The fourth and last verse was followed by a half-minute guitar solo by Nozomi, very similar to the studio version.

_[Everyone:] (Japanese) You go crazy, and I just want it all!_

_ [Everyone:] (Japanese) You go crazy, and I can’t wait at all!  
_

_ [Everyone:] (Japanese) You go crazy, and I can’t help but see!  
_

_ [Everyone:] (Japanese) You go crazy, when you’re with me! _

As the song closed out, Rin spoke, "You know, all of us are a little insane, don’t you think?" Then, the #1 hit ended to thunderous applause across the whole stadium. "Thank you! Arigatou gozaimasu!"


End file.
